To Love and to Love Again
by animequeen100
Summary: Love blooms even from the strangest of places, and darkest of hours. Sasuke has a daughter who needs a mother. Sakura has a son, who needs a father. A story of a man who must learn to love and a woman who must learn to love again. Now rated M for safety.
1. Sasuke and Suki

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 1: Sasuke and Suki**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

Early morning; it was considered the best time of day to some and to others it would be the most bothersome.

The sun was barely making its way above the sky forcing the once dark air to turn an interesting shade of royal purple and eventually orange. It was so early that the stars from the previous night were still visible if only slightly. Japan is known as the land of the rising sun and therefore a great honor to be the first people on the planet to greet the new day. But for some, it was just a challenge to beat the sun; rise before it does.

As the sun swept through Japan, it made its way from the coast, through the mountains and the countryside, eventually settling in the metropolitan area; Tokyo to be exact, one of the largest municipal areas in the world and home to over 8 million people. Yet as most of the country was still enjoying their few hours of precious sleep, some were already up an about. One individual in particular, made it a habit to be up before the rest of the country.

As he watched daybreak, he slowly turned around from his balcony and walked back into his room. He strolled right past his door and walked down the hall, passing the pictures that framed the hallway. These pictures held memories of his childhood, college days, best friends and family, his wedding day, although that picture wasn't exactly as pleasant as a wedding photo should be, and one other picture that stood out from among the rest. This picture held the face of beautiful baby girl barley a few weeks old. That same baby girl was now the tender age of four and sleeping soundly in the room in which her father just walked into.

Her father silently made his way over to her tiny bed and watched over his little girl sleeping and dreaming of things he would never know of. Her little head full of shining raven hair, just like him. If she were awake you could see that she had the most brilliant green eyes, as green as emeralds. She was her father's little girl in every aspect except for her eyes. She is his pride and joy.

Her walls were adorned with finger paintings of mermaids and ponies, stick figures and animals and even a picture with a bowl of tomatoes. They were her favorite food, again just like her father. On the small shelf, there were a few awards from her preschool for excellent citizenship, student of the month awards, and ballet recital pictures all belonging to Uchiha Suki. There were also a few pictures of her in the preschool play on the five food groups where she had the honor of being tomato number four.

Smiling at his daughter one more time, Uchiha Sasuke planted a kiss on her forehead and walked out of her room turning off her nightlight. He would wake her in another hour for school.

Sasuke walked back into his room, grabbed a towel and went into the shower. After he was done, he got dressed in his usual attire, which consisted of black slacks, matching blazer and an off while shirt with a black silk tie. Such attire was necessary when you're the CEO of Konoha Medical Center.

The Uchiha family founded the hospital over decades ago by his grandfather and since then been run by the Uchiha family. What started out as a small clinic soon turned into a prosperous hospital specializing in Cancer treatments, trauma centers, diagnostic research labs, general health and so forth. It was the best of the best.

Sasuke made his way out of his room where he proceeded to watch the morning news. Later he went back to Suki's room; it was time for her to get ready for school. He walked in to find her still sleeping with her stuffed piglet, who she named ton-ton. She looked so peaceful that Sasuke wished he didn't have to wake her up.

"Suki… wake up Tenshi (angel). It's time to get up for school." Sasuke gently stroked her hair until her eyelids fluttered open.

"mmmm…. but Daddy…too…..tired….." she mumbled as she proceeded to curl back up into a ball. Sasuke smirked at her antics. Every morning was the same. He would wake her and she would try to guilt him into letting her sleep a bit more. So he resorted to the one method that would work every time, he began to tickle her feet. Suki could not resist for long. She broke out into a fit of giggles and eventually became fully awake.

"Daddy…you cheater!" she said while giggling.

"Sorry Tenshi, but you know it's time for school so get going. Grandma's will be here soon to take you."

And with that he hoisted her up on his shoulder and carried her to the bathroom where she brushed her teeth and washed her face. Then Sasuke left her in her room so she could get changed. Being four years old, Suki insisted that she be able to dress on her own claiming she was a "big girl now". Sasuke walked back down stairs and into the kitchen to make breakfast. He took out the toaster and placed 2 slices of bread into it. Then he made some pancakes, Suki's favorite, and placed them on the table. As he did so, Suki came bouncing down the stairs clad in her school uniform, which consisted of a black, gray and white plaid skirt, a black suit top and white shirt with a red scarf clipped on the neck. She came to the table and dropped her book bag on the floor.

"Daddy are you gonna come to my recital?" Suki asked while cutting her pancakes.

"I'll try to Tenshi. I'll try really hard to be there this time," he said.

Sasuke could tell that she didn't believe him by the way her face fell. He had missed the last two recitals and every time he tried to explain himself, she would just smile and say that she understood and that she would give him his own special performance when he had the chance. Even though she was all smiles on the outside, Sasuke could tell that she was nothing short of disappointed by the way her smile didn't reach her eyes.

Sasuke sighed. Being the CEO of Konoha Medical Center was a very time consuming job. Lately the hospital's been busier than usual due to the summer months approaching and everyone trying to cut loose and have a good time partying and drinking, which leads to drunk driving and lots and lots of accidents. Konoha Medical, being the hospital institution that it is, was the main hospital to go to in cases of accidents with an advanced trauma center and extensive ER.

Now Sasuke was no doctor, but being the CEO did mean that there were certain obligations that he had and one of those obligations was seeing through every department in the hospital. Every time there was a major incident, he would have to stay and oversee the paper work and legal matters that the hospital would have to go through, which meant that he would often get caught up in work and have to miss being with Suki.

"Okay Daddy. I'm gonna ask Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Itachi to come too. Last time, Grandpa bought me a tiara." she said while munching on her toast.

"That's great. I bet Grandma will be excited. You know she loves ballet and her favorite ballerina." Sasuke finished his breakfast and took the empty plates into the dishwasher when he heard the doorbell ring.

"_Mother_" he thought as he walked toward the door. He opened it and was surprised to see that it wasn't his mother but it was his brother, Itachi.

"Hn. Where's mom?" he asked peering outside to see if his mother was outside.

"Unable to be here," Itachi said with his usual monotone voice." She's in Osaka with father, attending their friend's daughter's wedding. They'll be gone all weekend. Mother asked me to come,"

"Uncle Itachiiiiiiiiiii!" Suki screamed as she ran towards him. Itachi lifted her in the air and caught her again.

"Hello Suki. How's are you doing today?" Itachi asked.

"I have a recital today. Uncle Itachi, can you come? Pleeeeeeeeease?" She asked with the biggest eyes she could muster. Not that she needed to do it. Itachi was putty when it came to his little niece. He could never say no to her.

"Of course I can. I wouldn't miss the greatest performance of the year for anything. But I'm afraid Grandma and Grandpa won't be able to come. They had to go on a little trip, but I'll be there,"

"Okay" she said. Itachi put her down and she turned to her father.

"Daddy, since Grandma and Grandpa can't come, can Uncle Naruto and Aunty Hinata come too? Please daddy please please please! "She cried while tugging on Sasuke's sleeve.

"I don't see why not. I'll ask Naruto when I see him today." he mumbled the last part to himself. "It's time for you to get going. You don't want to be late."

Suki nodded and grabbed her backpack before running outside and towards her uncles' motor cycle.

"You plan on taking her to school in that?" said Sasuke as he pointed to the bike parked in his drive way. He was very overprotective of Suki and when it came to transportation, he would have her ride in nothing but the safest of cars and his brother's motorcycle wasn't approved.

"Mother just asked me this favor," Itachi replied. "I didn't have time to get my car. Suki will be safe with me. She'll sit in the car seat I installed it right behind me. You can trust me little brother." Itachi said.

Sasuke really didn't have time to get into it at the moment, so he let it go.

As he watched his brother place his daughter on his bike, Sasuke couldn't help but feel that he was depriving his daughter of a mother. Since his wife's death at childbirth, Sasuke was left to raise Suki on his own from the very beginning.

_**5 years ago**_

_When Sasuke was twenty years old, he was asked to marry a girl named Aya Jin. She was a pretty girl about his age with long brown hair and stunning green eyes. It was an arranged marriage that was thought up by his and hers parents as a way to merge companies; back then the Jin family was a prominent medical group that specialized in producing advanced medicine for cancer and surgical treatments._

_Sasuke was not a strong believer in love. His life was too preoccupied with other matters to give it much thought. Sasuke had never been in love and he didn't really give a damn about the illusion. On his mother's urging, he consented. _

_He agreed to the marriage believing that it was a sensible thing to do and it would save him the hassle of trying to date or find someone for himself. Sasuke and Aya married but their relationship was pretty complicated. After they were married, Aya revealed to him that she never wanted to marry him either. She was in love with someone else but agreed to marry him as part of her father's dying wish._

_Sasuke and Aya had come to the understanding that even though they we're married, they would never have to love each other. It was a silent pact that they made. They would keep up the marriage to please their parents and to help the hospital for the better. They were so distant that they even slept in different rooms and were never once intimate. Of course this was totally hidden form their parents. To everyone else, they were happily married and doing fine. Less than a month into their marriage, the issue of children was brought up from their parents one day during a dinner gathering._

_Aya's father was nearing his death; he was suffering from a rare form of cancer and had less than a year left to live. He requested that before he dies, he would like to be a grandfather. This broke Aya's heart and further complicated their relationship. But she still refused to be with Sasuke and he wasn't to please with this idea either, but if it was the request of his father in law, then so be it._

_Sasuke and Aya had a long discussion, and were able to come up with a compromise. They decided that they would do an Invitro Fertilization. That way they could still have a child and not have to make one themselves. Their cover to their parents was that they would try the process for themselves and if it was successful, then they could see to having that procedure added on to their own hospitals curriculum. At first their parents weren't too thrilled with the idea, but after a while they decided that the benefits outweighed the apprehension. _

_After a few months, Aya soon became pregnant through invitro. Throughout the course of her pregnancy, Sasuke and Aya grew closer, not romantically but they learned to appreciate one another and become good friends. Sasuke would sit with her during her ultrasound appointments, and tend to her every need to make sure that she was happy and that the baby was doing well. _

_They were happy when they found out she was carrying a girl._

_"Suki" said Aya one day while they were sitting out on their balcony._

_"What?" he asked. _

_"Suki...I want our daughter's name to be Suki" She said while starring out onto the city. They had just returned from Naruto's birthday party and decided to relax after the festivities. _

_"I don't mind the name, but why Suki?" he asked. She had been acting strange for the last few days and Sasuke didn't know what to make of it. _

_"Suki means "beloved," she answered. "Ever since I got pregnant, I feel closer to you. Even though I cannot say I love you in that sense, I can say that I do love you as my friend and as the father of my baby." said Aya as she held her rather large nine month pregnant belly._

_Sasuke didn't know what to say. He didn't really know how to respond to that. But he did appreciate Aya for understanding him and for her all that she did for him. She was the mother of his child and he would always care for her in that sense._

"_Thank you… Aya. I'll take care of you, both as my friend and as the mother of my child. We'll raise this child with everything she will ever need, together."_

_Aya smiled a sad smile...something was wrong...and she knew it. The next day, Aya went into labor._

…

_Aya was admitted into the hospital on October 11th. She had a heart monitor for her and another monitor on her abdomen to monitor the baby's heart. After six hours of labor, everything was going well. Both Aya and the baby were doing fine. At the height of Labor, that's when things started to go wrong._

_"She's crashing! We need to get this baby out STAT!" shouted one of the doctors._

_Several nurses and the doctor were frantically rushing about the room trying to keep both Aya and the baby alive. Monitors were attached to Aya in all sorts of places and from his position, Sasuke could see Aya's heart monitor start to drop. Then the baby's monitor started to drop too._

"_We need to get this baby out now. Prepare for emergency C-section." The doctor shouted. Sasuke was pushed out of the room and out of their way. Everyone scrambled to save the CEO's wife and child. _

_The nurses prepared Aya and after about ten minutes, the baby was pulled out. Aya could hear her daughter but she couldn't see her. Slowly her world started to turn dark. She turned her head to the side and saw Sasuke in the room holding their crying daughter. He brought her over to Aya._

"_Aya, look at her. This is our Daughter. You have to hold on …Aya." shouted Sasuke, he was getting frantic. He could see the life draining in her eyes. _

_"…Su….ki..." she choked out. The heart monitor was dropping fast…and Aya's eyelids started to fall._

_"Take care of her….Sasuke…..tell her…..mommy will always love her….." and with that, Aya flat-lined. Everything went in slow motion for Sasuke then; the doctors pushed him and the baby out of the way, and they started trying to revive her._

_"CLEAR!" shouted the doctor as he pressed the shockers to Aya's chest. No change._

_"Dammit…CLEAR!" again no change. Her heart monitor continued to just continuously beep without any contractions on her flat wave._

_"Once more…CLEAR!" for the last and final time, no change. The doctor sighed and disconnected the monitor before calling out her time of death. He covered Aya's face with the blanket, and then went over to Sasuke who was still holding Suki._

_"I'm so sorry Sasuke. She's gone." He said as he laid a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "It looks like the pregnancy was too much for her to handle. The strain of labor just made it worse and she couldn't take it. I'll give you a moment" he said, and with that, he and the rest of the nurses left their CEO in the room. _

_Sasuke went up to Aya's body and starred at her covered form. __Aya…__he thought. He remembered her face from the previous night. Did she know about this? Did she know that she wouldn't be able to handle it? Why'd she do it? Dammit why? WHY? He thought angrily. Now he was left alone again with a child that he had no idea how to raise._

_Speaking of his child, he had yet to really take a good look at her. Sasuke peered down at her face and studied her. She had his hair and his nose. Hey eyes were closed at the moment but he would later discover that her eyes are exactly like Aya's; dazzling green. She was wailing like there was no tomorrow. But that sound was all that kept Sasuke going. At that moment, he fell in love with this little girl. She was now his only reason to keep going._

_"Suki…I promise you. I will always be there for you no matter what." He said as he left the room with Suki in his arms._

As Sasuke stood on the porch, he watched Itachi pulled out of the driveway with Suki behind him. When they were out of sight, he walked to his and drove to work. All the while, he kept thinking about Suki and how she was almost five now. She was going to need a mother, someone to help her with all the things only a mother could do. His own mother could only go so far for him and Naruto's wife Hinata was sometimes helpful whenever they came over. But Sasuke knew that Suki would need a more stable motherly figure in her life. The problem was how he was going to find another wife.

Aya was his friend and he will always think of her as such. But Sasuke didn't know how he could ever replace Aya with anyone else. Dating was the last thing on his mind. His brother would question him at times about dating, if only for Suki's sake, but there was no way he would give in. And how would Suki react to him seeing other women? All in good time then. For now, he would drop the subject. But if the opportunity presented itself, Sasuke vowed that he would at least try to make the effort.

As he pulled into his private parking spot at the hospital and got out of the car, Sasuke walked toward the elevator and go to the 15th floor, the very top, where his office was. Once he settled there, he called his secretary. He had a meeting with the new doctor hired by the hospital today. She was an OB/GYN and Pediatrician.

"Time for work" he thought as his eyes landed on a picture of Suki and him from their trip to the beach. _Suki…_was his last thought before the door opened and the new doctor walked right in.

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**Authors Note: **

**So I finally decided to write my own fic because I've had this idea in my head for so long and I'm tired of waiting for someone to write it so I just decided to do it myself. Let me know what you think. I accept all kinds of reviews.**


	2. Sakura and Sora

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 2: Sakura and Sora.**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

The light crept through the white curtains, giving the room and warm yellow glow. Unfortunately there was a crack in the curtains that allowed a small beam of sun to enter and land on the sleeping figures face. As the sun moved higher in the sky, you could catch a glimpse of the pink hair that was being highlighted by the sun's rays. The figure lying in bed shuffled a bit before finally turning over and having the offending light shine right in her face.

She opened her eyes before quickly shutting them again. "_D__amn curtains" _she mentally cursed as she blinked several times to get rid of the sleep in her eyes.

She got up out of bed and checked the clock by her bedside. It was 6:15 AM. "_Perfect"_ she thought. She walked to her closet and absent-mindedly picked a towel from the pile on one of the shelves. She took a look at the towel; extra-large with a picture of a bunch of dogs playing cards.

Bringing the towel up to her body, she hugged it tightly before putting it back on the shelf and choosing another one. She wasn't ready to use that yet and wasn't sure if she would ever use that particular towel again. It held too many memories. Just then, one of those memories popped into her mind.

_They were at the flea market trying to forage for whatever necessities they'll need to move into their new apartment._

"_A towel…with dogs playing cards? You can't be serious. That's the most clichéd not to mention ugly, print out there. And you call yourself an artist?" she asked jokingly as she watched him hold it out in front of her. _

"_I thought you needed something hideous to further your own beauty," he said as he barely managed to dodge a punched aimed for his face. "Again with the violence," he said. "I thought the purpose of learning medicine was to heal people instead of intentionally hurting." he said with such a straight face she had to let her anger go. He walked closer to her and wrapped the towel around her body while bringing her into a bear hug._

_"Well Sai, if I'm so ugly then I guess you can just sleep with yourself tonight…and every night from here on in." She said in a threatening voice. She took a moment to remember the peculiar look she thought was horror that crossed his face before catching him off guard in a quick kiss._

_"Kidding" she said as she detangled herself from the offensive towel. She started to walk towards one of the other stands that were selling all kinds of furniture before she felt Sai's arms snake around her waist once again._

"_You reconsidered because your need for me is too great. You can't resist me," he stated as he began to kiss her neck from behind._

"_Sai! We're in public…. keep your artistic hands to yourself…for now" she added with a sly smirk on her face._

_"You've proven my point, you can't resist me." He said as he reluctantly let her go to browse around the furniture. The sound of her laughter only confirmed his thoughts. _

Sakura smiled at the memory and chose another towel before heading off into the shower. Sakura turned the shower on and waited till the water was warm enough before stepping inside. If she wasn't awake before, she certainly was now. She let the warm water cover her entire body before busting out the shampoo and slathering her long pink hair that reached just below her shoulders.

After she was done showering, she walked to her closet and picked out the suit that she had prepared for today. She had meeting with the CEO at Konoha Medical Center today. She was going to be staring her new job as their lead OB/GYN physician. Next to her suit there we're rows and rows of scrubs that she would usually wear to work. Once she started, then she would have to get some new ones with the Konoha symbol printed on them.

She put on the suit which consisted of black pencil skirt, a light pink blouse and an equally black silk blazer. She would wait a while before busting out the high-heeled stilettos. She checked the clock one more time. It was 7 AM on the dot.

"_Time to wake him up" _she thought as she left her room and walked down the hall to stop at a door covered in drawings. She laughed as she read the latest work of art, a giant poster that read " **SoRa's r0om. N0 GiRls AlLoWeD**!

Chuckling slightly, she opened the door and walked up to the window. She opened the curtains and turned to the sleeping figure sprawled all over the race car bed with one foot dangling off the side and his blanket long forgotten in the corner.

"He sleeps just like you Sai," she said to herself as she approached him. She kissed his forehead and gently shook him while calling him.

"Sora…sweetie it's time for school. You don't want to be late for your first day." She said as she stroked his shiny black hair. Sora rubbed his eyes for a bit before opening them and adjusting his gaze to his mother. He can spot her from anywhere due to her unique hair color.

"….mmhhhhhh…Hi mommy…what time is it?" he asked. Every morning he would ask her what the time was. As soon as she would tell him, he would pop right out of bed and race to the bathroom to see how fast he could get ready. Every time he would try to beat his score of 6 minutes and 30 seconds. For a 5-year- old, that was pretty impressive but also quite hazardous. There were several occasions where he would trip on the rug, run into a wall, or mistakenly get soap into his eyes from rushing.

"_Good thing I'm a doctor, otherwise I don't know what I'd do"_ she thought. Her first aid kit was put to pretty good use.

"It's about 7AM right now but sweetheart don't rush it. I don't want a repeat of the toothbrush incident. Of all places for a toothbrush to be, up your nose isn't one of them. Now get going but be careful," She warned as she shooed him into the bathroom.

Sora chuckled before saying "Okay mom" he said as he laughed at the memory; though at the time it was no laughing matter. There was toothpaste on that brush and it burned his nose as he tried to breath. That was one trip to the emergency room that Sakura did not care to go through again.

She sighed. "_What should I make for breakfast_?" she thought as she walked out of Sora's room. She purposely went past the bathroom to make sure he was alright. The boy was a hazard to himself. He was washing his face and not on the floor crying so it's safe to assume he'll be okay for now.

Sakura went down to the kitchen. There were still several boxes that haven't been opened piled up along the walls. Sakura and Sora had just moved to Tokyo after Sakura was offered a position there. Originally they were from Kyoto. But after recent events, Sakura decided it was time for a change of scenery. She made some calls and managed to snag a position with one of the best hospitals in Tokyo.

"_I have to remember to thank Tenten for this," _she thought. Tenten Hyuga was one of Sakura's old college roommates. Her husband Neji Hyuga was a Neurosurgeon at KMC (Konoha Medical Center). After hearing about Sakura's situation, Tenten asked Neji to recommend Sakura for a position there.

Sakura's reputation alone would have been enough for any hospital to accept her. She was known as a prodigy during her medical school days. She managed to skip four years' worth of school and still pass as number one in her class. She underwent an internship and residency with Dr. Tsunade, an old family friend and legend in the medical field and managed to secure a stable job as a doctor all before the age of Twenty-two. Granted, Sakura did marry young and she was pregnant all throughout her final year at Medical school but she persevered. After Sora was born, she decided that she would specialize in OB/GYN and Pediatrics. Now, at Twenty-five, she was at the top of her game.

Sakura pulled out a pan from one of the boxes labeled 'kitchen ware' and placed it on the stove. They moved into a nice 2-story condo just fifteen minutes away from the hospital. She cracked a couple of eggs over the top and let them fry for a bit. Then she put two slices of wheat bread into the toaster and she also made some coffee for herself. While she let the eggs fry, she took out an orange and squeezed the life out of it so Sora could have his favorite juice.

"_Nothing but fresh squeezed juice for my little boy"_ thought Sakura.

Five minutes later, Sora came bouncing down the stairs with his book bag slung over his shoulder. Sakura pause for a minute before she smiled and went up to Sora and planted a kiss on top of his head.

"Eww …what was that for mommy?" Sora asked as he rubbed the spot she kissed. Sakura pouted.

"I can't help it. You just look so cute I just want to hug you forever!" she said as she enveloped him into a gigantic hug. She lifted him up and spun around the room with him until she put him down again but not before sneaking another kiss on his cheek.

"Mommy!" he whined, but it didn't sound as serious as he had intended it to be for he was laughing at the same time.

"Okay Okay…that was the last kiss…no wait." she planted three simultaneous kisses on his cheek, "That was the last one I swear." She said as she left Sora to furiously wipe his cheek of any evidence that he was just smothered with motherly love. He would have to double-check the mirror before he left for school. It was his first day and the last thing he need was to walk in with kissy marks all over his face.

"Do you have everything you need for school? Book bag, lunch money, every piece of your school uniform?" she asked.

"… I think so," he said as he sat down at the table and began to eat his eggs and toast. Sakura sat across from him and watched him for a while. Sora put the eggs on his toast and bent the slice of bread over to make a sandwich.

"_He's his father's son in so many ways," _she thought. She remembered how Sai would do the exact same thing to his eggs and toast. He would also save the orange juice for last by gulping it down in one swing and that's exactly what Sora did when he was done with his toast. Sai would also wipe his mouth with his sleeve and that was one thing that Sakura will not have Sora doing to his new school uniform.

"Freeze mister! Use a napkin Sora. I will not have you mess up your jacket before you even get to school." She watched as Sora's hand stopped just before it reached his mouth. He sighed in defeat and reached for a napkin. His uniform consisted of a black blazer, white shirt, red clip-on scarf and gray pants. After breakfast was over, Sakura placed the dishes in the dishwasher and grabbed her keys.

Sakura and Sora got into her car and took off. Traffic was usually okay in the morning. As Sakura pulled up to the front of the school, she looked behind her seat as Sora was stepping out of the car.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" she asked. Sora looked determinedly at the building.

"No, I'll be fine." He said as he closed the door. Sakura rolled down the window as Sora walked up to it.

"If you need anything just tell the teacher and don't be afraid to call me if something happens. Have a good first day Sweetheart. Mommy loves you!" she said.

"Love you to Mommy, bye." And with that he started to walk toward the school. Sakura watched him until he was out of sight and then pulled out and drove to the hospital, which was only a ten minute ride away from the school.

She drove into the parking lot and parked her car. She stepped out and took a look around. Her eyeballs bulged out of their sockets; the place was huge! She had never before seen such a huge hospital. There was an elegant sign that read Konoha Medical Center right in front and from above she could see that there was a helicopter pad located on the roof.

_"This place really does have it all"_ she thought as she snapped out of her stupor and walked towards the entrance.

She was even more amazed as she entered the building. The lobby was gorgeous with black granite tiles on the floor, large high ceilings with fluorescent lighting and large paintings of what she was guessing the Edo period in Japan. It was pretty busy as a horde of people were walking this way and that way trying to get to wherever it was that they had to go.

Sakura walked toward the receptionist and got her attention. The receptionist looked up and asked how what she could do.

"I have a meeting today with the CEO at 8.30 this morning. I need to know where his office is located." Sakura said.

"Oh, so you're the new doctor that this hospital is all hyped up about. It's nice to meet you; my name is Keiko," She said as she extended her hand to Sakura. She was a middle aged woman with faded brown hair tied into a lose bun. Sakura shook her hand and introduced herself as well.

"Okay so you'll want to go to Mr. Uchiha's office. It's on the 15th floor all the way at the top. Once you get there you can't miss it. There are only about three offices up there and they're all labeled. His secretary should be there by now; she'll help you once you get there." She said.

"Thank you Keiko." said Sakura.

"You might want to grab cup of coffee for the elevator ride. It takes forever to get to the top of this building with people stopping you on ever floor. Trust me, you'll need it. There's a coffee cart just outside the entrance; better to buy it there than at the cafeteria." Keiko provided.

"Thanks Keiko, maybe another time, I've already had my fill of caffeine today and the last thing I need is to be bouncing off the walls during a meeting," Sakura said as she made her way towards the elevator.

She stepped inside the elevator and again, was amazed at how gorgeous it was. There were mirrors that lined the wall and small lights that lined the entire lining of the roof. The music wasn't that bad either. It was also carpeted.

_"I wonder how nice the hospital rooms must be?"_ she thought. Just then, the elevator stopped. She was barely on the 3rd floor.

"_I guess she wasn't kidding when she said I'd get stopped a lot" _she thought as the door flew open. In walked a tall blonde guy with the bluest eyes Sakura had ever seen. He was wearing a lab coat that wasn't button up with dark brown pants and a light orange shirt with the words "Ramen Lover" printed on it. His name tag read "**Uzumaki Naruto: Physical Therapy**" He had a carton of instant ramen in one hand and chopsticks in the other hand. He was at least a head taller than Sakura and he had this goofy demeanor about him. As the elevator doors closed, he turned to look at Sakura.

The smile he gave her was filled with happiness.

"Hi! The names Naruto and I don't think I've ever seen you here before. You visiting someone?" he asked all the while slurping on his ramen.

_"Amazing…his mouth is full, yet he speaks without any difficulty." _She thought as she starred at him.

"Hello? You okay?" he asked. Sakura then realized that she was being rude.

"Oh…I'm sorry. My name is Sakura. Dr. Haruno Sakura. And no I'm not visiting anyone; I'm here for a meeting," she replied. He gave her an enlightened look.

"Oh, so you're the one that teme's going to interview? Good luck with that." He said as he slurped the last of his noodles. Sakura could only gawk at him.

"You refer to the CEO of this Hospital as a 'bastard'?" She asked incredulously.

"Oh no, you got it all wrong. He's not really that bad. He's just kind of hard to get to know. I've known that guy since we were in middle school. He never talked much but eventually we stared hanging out. Good guy really, but a little on the moody side. But don't worry I'm sure you'll do fine." he added.

"Thanks" she said sarcastically. She wasn't that nervous before, but now she was and she had this idiot to thank. The elevator stopped on the 10th floor and Naruto got out. He turned to Sakura before the doors closed.

"Bye Sakura. If your still here by lunchtime then come and find me. I'll introduce you to everyone." He said as the doors closed.

"Okay…sure. Thanks Naruto." she said. The elevator continued to go to the top floor. When she stepped out, she saw that this floor was different from all the others. It looks more like a business office than anything with black granite floors and white walls that were made to look blue with the dark lighting.

She saw the secretary sitting behind her desk and sorting through some files. Sakura approached her and got her attention.

"Excuse me. I'm Dr. Sakura Haruno and I'm here for a meeting with Mr. Uchiha." she said.

"Let me call him for you." She pressed a button on the intercom and spoke through it. "Mr. Uchiha, Dr. Haruno is here for your 8:30 appointment." she said.

"_Send her in Mai_" she heard from the intercom.

"It's that door down there," said Mai as she pointed to large double doors. Sakura walked towards them and as she got a little closer, she could see the sign posted above the doors: **Uchiha Sasuke: KMC CEO**.

"Breath…just breath…" Sakura mumbled to herself as she placed her hands on the doorknob. She turned the knob and opened the door. The sight that was in front of her almost stopped her heart beating.

"…_Sai?"_she thought.


	3. Sasuke and Sakura

**To love and to Love Again Chapter 3: Sasuke and Sakura**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Sasuke's Office:**

Her heart was pounding so hard she swore she could hear it. There, sitting in the big leather chair right in front of her, was a man that looked eerily similar to Sai.

It was like seeing a ghost. Almost the same face, same eyes, same hair color, same skin tone. If she didn't know any better, she would say that Sasuke and Sai could have been brothers. He was sitting at his desk clicking something on his computer.

He heard her gasp and turned to look at her. He had almost the same reaction as her. The first thing that stood out, except for the pink hair, were her eyes. They're the exact same shade as Suki. He got up from his chair and made his way toward her.

She watched him come closer to her. She couldn't breathe; she needed to snap out of it. "_This man is not Sai! Sai died and he's never coming back. This man is not Sai!" _She quickly recovered from her mental battle when she noticed that Sasuke was now standing right in front of her and staring at her just as much as she was staring at him. It was like he was trying to recognize her too.

They studied each other for about ten seconds before Sasuke finally decided to speak up. It was getting awkward and there was so much tension in the air.

"You must be Dr. Haruno. I'm Sasuke Uchiha," he said as he continued to study her face. She fidgeted a bit before speaking up as well.

"Yes I'm Sakura Haruno, it's nice to meet you," she said as she shifted a bit. The stilettos were starting to get to her or maybe it was just his presence. "_Not Sai, but he's just so similar…focus here…don't freak." _She thought to herself as she tried to find her center.

"Let's get started then," he said as he walked back over to his desk. He motioned for her to sit down and reached for a file.

Sakura took a look around his office to distract her for a bit. It was huge. Two sides of the room were made up thick floor to ceiling glass, giving you a spectacular view of the city. There was a bookshelf that lined most of the third wall. On closer inspection, you could see that it was filled with encyclopedias, medical dictionaries, binders and binders of hospital codes and laws as well as some books on hospital ethics and business. There was another door next to the library that appeared to hold a private bathroom behind it. There was also a rather comfortable looking couch next to the double door. A few potted trees stood next to each door.

His desk was another thing. It was entirely black and had a sort of curved build. On it, were his computer, fax machine, intercom, telephone and a few picture frames that Sakura couldn't see because they were facing the other way.

While he was shuffling through the file, Sakura took the opportunity to study his face again. Now that she wasn't so flustered, she noticed that although the resemblance was great, there were some things that were unique about Sasuke. For one thing, his hair stood up in the back reminding her of the backside of a chicken; she had to stifle a laugh at this. He had a strong build by the looks of it. Not too muscular but not thin either. He was at least a head taller than her. He had an air of importance around him that kind of mixed with strength, business, and oddly enough, a bit of protectiveness. He didn't look like the type to smile either. He looked like a smirker; the arrogant smiler as Sakura liked to put it. He stopped shuffling through the file and turned to face her.

"From what I've read in your file, you'd be quite a benefit to our hospital. Your record is impressive and your references speak for themselves; Dr. Tsunade is an automatic acceptance to me. I hear she only takes the best of the best under her wing. What I'm curious about is how you managed to pull off skipping almost four years of med school." he said while tilting his head to the side slightly, leaning his body forward and lacing his fingers together. He maintained eye contact with her the entire time he spoke to her. Those emerald green eyes were just so alluring.

Sakura leaned back a bit; as if her personal space was being invaded even though Sasuke was at least three ft. away from her. His eyes, as she just now noticed, were completely black. They were mysterious and calculating as if they were passing judgment on her. _"Definitely not like Sai" _she thought as she sat up straighter and began to explain.

"After high school I immediately enrolled in University studying under medicine of course. At the same time, I proceeded to enroll myself in online classes at the Kyoto institute of diagnostic research and development. Believe me when I say it wasn't easy, but I persevered." she said while he just nodded indicating that he was following along.

"I graduated 2 ½ years later and got my degree in biological sciences. Right after I graduated I got married. I still had one year left at the Kyoto institute, when I found out I was expecting a child. So I finished my course, got my degree in Medicine and then I had my son." she finished.

Sasuke looked impressed, and he would never have thought she was a parent on top of it all. He smirked

"_I knew he was a smirker" _she thought to herself.

"That's quite an accomplishment to achieve while that young. You say that your specialty is in OB/GYN and pediatrics. What made you choose those professions? From what I know, you've worked on several subjects. Why these two?" he asked with special interest as he went through her files again.

Sakura was quiet for a while. That question really did strike a soft spot in her and she knew exactly what she would tell him.

"…. I've studied everything I could in school, but nothing motivated me more than Obstetrics. My mother died while giving birth to me. Her body couldn't handle the stress. So I dedicated my life to helping every expectant mom that I could. I know how hard it is to grow up without a mom. I just want to prevent that from happening to others. No child should be without a mother especially at birth and after I had my son I also took an interest in pediatrics." Said Sakura.

Sasuke was quiet for a while. Although he never loved Aya, he wished that there were something that could have been done to save her. Because of that, Suki had to be raised without her and Sasuke could only do so much himself. He looked up at her. Her eyes were somewhat downcast but as she looked up, Sasuke looked from her to the picture that was right in front of him of Suki as a baby. He couldn't help but think that their eyes are exactly the same. Her answer seemed to be all that Sasuke needed to hear.

"…I agree. No child should ever be without a mother. And if you're the miracle worker that this file says you are…" he said as he held it up for her to see. "Then Welcome to Konoha Medical Center." he said as he stood up and extended his hand to her.

"Thank you. I look forward to working here." she said as she took his hand. His hand made her hand look like a delicate string. It practically swallowed her palm. His handshake was firm but gentle.

"_Soft hands_" thought Sasuke as they broke the handshake. He sat back down and thought about her references. Dr. Tsunade, Neji Hyuga, Tenten Hyuga. Now Neji was KMC's top neurosurgeon not to mention one of Sasuke's good friends from college. His wife Tenten was an accomplished Cardio surgeon. "So I hear that you're acquainted with a few of our surgeons here; Neji and Tenten Hyuga to be exact. How exactly do you know them?"

"Tenten and I went to high school and University together. She and I were roommates. We kept in touch over the years and I would visit Neji and Tenten occasionally. They're my son's godparents after all." she said.

"That's right you mentioned that you have a son. How old is he?" he asked.

"His name is Sora and he just turned five last month. I was twenty when I had him. Today is his first day at Konoha Leaf Academy." said Sakura as she smiled remembering the light of her life and the accident-free morning they had.

"My daughter Suki attends that school as well. She'll be five this coming October." he said while trying to stop the smile that was making its presence known. As far as they were concerned, the meeting was over. Yet somehow he found himself…just talking to her.

"Oh so you have a daughter? I'll bet she looks just like you," she stated.

Sasuke smirked, "What makes you say that?" he asked. It was true that Suki did look like him, but there must have been a reason why Sakura was so sure.

"Well I am Obstetrician, and genetics was one of my favorite subjects. You have very defined and dominant traits that have a high probability of being passed on to your children. So let me guess, Suki has dark hair, your nose your lips and maybe even your eyes right?" she asked as she studied his face some more.

"Close" Sasuke answered as he reached back toward his desk to take one of the picture frames out. He brought it back to Sakura and showed her. Sakura took the picture and smiled.

"Ohhhhh she's precious and she really does look like you. Oh wait, except the eyes. She has beautiful eyes…her mother's I assume?" she asked as she faced Sasuke. He simply nodded.

"That's all she has left of her mother. She also died in childbirth," he said while looking right at her. This made Sakura look up at him.

_"His wife died? Now that it's mentioned I didn't see a wedding ring on him. I must have brought up bad memories,"_ she thought. Her face softened and she gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm so sorry about your wife. It must have been hard to raise your daughter without her." she said as she handed the picture back to him. Sasuke placed it back on his desk before turning to her again.

"I had help from my parents and older brother. We managed to get though. Suki's doing fine," he replied.

"Well I only wish my son could take care of himself. He's the most accident-prone child I know; a cut here, bruise there, toothbrushes stuck in places they just weren't meant to be …" she said while laughing slightly. "The boy is just as reckless as his father." She added.

At the mention of her son's father, Sasuke wondered how he didn't notice it before; her hand held no wedding ring. He vaguely recalled her saying she was married, though he wasn't about to investigate that matter. "_Not important anyway" _he thought.

"I see." he said. "Well if you don't have any more questions then we're all set. Just sign these documents here and you're done." he said while sliding some papers in her direction. Sakura signed the papers and handed them back to Sasuke.

"You'll be getting your new scrubs from HR on the first floor. We'll also have a white coat ordered for you with our logo on it. You can also talk to Hinata in the nursing department about your schedule and patient appointments. You'll be starting tomorrow," he said.

"Thank you, I'll see to these right away." she said as she stood up from her seat. "It was nice meeting you Mr. Uchiha." she said as she extended her hand once again.

"Sasuke," he said, surprising even himself. "You can call me Sasuke. And it was nice meeting you as well Dr. Haruno." he said as he took her hand.

"You can call me Sakura." She said with a smile. He had a strange feeling come over him when she smiled; it brightened up those green eyes. Getting back to reality, Sasuke smirked while they broke the handshake.

"I'll see you tomorrow to check up on things. The OB clinic tends to get busy around this time of the year. It gets pretty hectic. Can you handle it?" he asked in a tone that was suggestive of intimidation.

She, for once in her life, smirked at him. "Well then Sasuke, to that I say, bring it on." She said as she turned and left his office before seeing the smirk that made its way on his face.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

After she left his office, Sakura got into the elevator and pushed the button for the 1st floor. I was almost noon and she thought it would be better to get some lunch first and roam around for a bit to get used to the settings. The elevator was at the 8th floor when it came to a stop. As the doors opened she was surprised to see her friend Tenten walk right in holding a patients chart.

"Tenten!" said Sakura as the doors closed. Tenten looked up surprised; she was reading the chart when she walked in.

"Sakura? Hey, what are you doing here?" she said as she pulled Sakura into a hug. She wore a pair of dark blue scrubs and a white lab coat. With her named sewed on the pocket. She had big brown eyes and her hair tied up in two buns. "Your interview was today?"

"Yeah I just got out of it. I was just going to go grab some lunch and then get my scrubs and stuff. I miss wearing scrubs and these damn shoes are killing my feet." She whined as the elevator stared to go down again.

Tenten chuckled. "Yeah well, at least it's only for today. So anyway, why didn't you call me and let me know you were coming? You never call anymore." she accused.

"Sorry, I guess in all the excitement I got kind of got distracted. Plus Sora took up most of my time lately, what with his new school and moving here. I just didn't think about it," she said sheepishly.

Tenten's face lit up at the mention of her precious Godchild. She and Neji didn't plan on having kids so soon into their marriage. Ever since Sora was born and they were named godparents, they decided that they could still experience the joy of a baby though their godchild, whom they loved to bits.

"Oh how is my godson doing anyway, its' been over a year since I've seen him. Did he join a sport yet? He should try out for Soccer like I did, he'll totally kick ass. After all, he's bound to inherit your insane strength." She said while chuckling.

Back in their college days, Sakura was notoriously beating the shit out of people if they annoyed her. She kind of made a reputation for herself and having a split personality. One minute she's your friend, the next minute; she'll have you on the ground in tears. Her victim mostly consisted of guys who, after being rejected for a date, would just not take no for an answer.

"Sora's doing great. He started Konoha Leaf Academy today. I just hope he doesn't get himself into any trouble. You know how he is." She answered.

"Yeah, hey since you're here do you want to grab some lunch with me? I'm on my break right now." said Tenten.

"Yes please! I'm starving here. Is the cafeteria food good here or should I not even bother?" The food at the last hospital she worked at was tolerable at best.

"Oh yeah. The one great thing about Konoha Medical is that we're not cheap, not with our patients or with our food. It's pretty good down at the cafeteria so let's give that a try."

The elevator stopped again at the fourth floor. As the doors opened, the Physical therapist from before, Naruto, walked in while trying to balance a large stack of files in his hands.

"Hey Naruto, paper work catch up to you again?" asked Tenten as she watched him struggling to balance the weight of the stack.

"Yeah…. Why do I have to do this junk? I don't have time to fill out useless release papers. Seriously I think they just hate me." He said while he let the stack balance themselves on the bar in the elevators. He turned around and was surprised to see Sakura there.

"Oh hey Sakura, how'd your interview with teme go?" he asked.

"You two have met?" asked Tenten

"Yeah I met Naruto this morning on the way to the interview. Nice to see you again Naruto." she said while smiling at him. "And I still don't get why you call him a bastard, he was really nice. And he has the cutest little girl I've ever seen." She said while rummaging through her purse.

"Oh so you've seen my god daughter Suki? She's the cutest thing ever isn't she?" ask Naruto while trying to balance the files as the elevator came to a stop on the first floor. The doors opened and the three of them stepped out.

"So Naruto do you want to come to lunch with me and Sakura? We were just about to go to the cafeteria." Tenten said as they stopped walking.

"You know I would, but those freaking nurses gave me all these" he said while lifting the stack of files "Sorry Sakura, I know I said we could do lunch but I'm going to have to take a rain check. Maybe tomorrow? I know this awesome place called Ichirakus that'll knock your socks off, believe it!" he claimed.

Just then, the overhead pager system went off: "**Physical Therapist to the Nursing station, Physical Therapist to the Nursing station**" Naruto groaned.

"Awww give me a break!" he shouted to the roof.

"That's fine Naruto, we'll do lunch tomorrow. I understand that you have a lot of work to do," said Sakura.

"He wouldn't if he didn't put it off till the last minute," Tenten said with an exasperated sigh. After Naruto left them, Sakura and Tenten walked into the Cafeteria, or rather, the in-house restaurant; it was too good to be a cafeteria. There was a production line where you could have anything you wanted grilled on the spot and a salad bar with a build your own sandwich line. There were also ready-made dishes, a huge coffee machine and snack bar. They each ordered a Cesar salad with chicken and two iced teas.

They chose seats next to the window overlooking the traffic from the outside.

"So, how's life?" asked Tenten as they got settled.

"Hmmm? Oh well I guess it's good. Sora's a handful as usual but other than that everything's fine…I'm fine Tenten. I know you worry about me but you don't have to. It was three years ago, I've moved on," said Sakura.

Tenten sighed. Sakura was always very sharp; she saw right though Tenten's attempt to get to bigger issues.

"Are you sure? You haven't been calling as much and I haven't seen you or Sora in over a year. It wasn't like that before so I'm going to ask you again: are you guys ok?" said Tenten.

"…Yeah Tenten, we'll be fine. I'm okay and Sora…he was so young when it happened. I'm pretty sure he'll never remember his father and that breaks my heart but…I will always make sure that he knew what a great person Sai was.

"Well that's good and everything but what about you? Have you ever thought about…you know….moving on?" Tenten asked hesitantly.

"…I don't know Tenten. I honestly don't know and today of all days is the wrong day to even be thinking about this," Sakura said while stabbing a piece of chicken in her salad. That statement seemed to confuse Tenten.

"And why is this not a good day to be discussing this?" asked Tenten. She was worried about Sakura. She was never the same after Sai died and that was to be expected. But it's been three years and Sora's growing up fast. He was going to need a father and Sakura was going to need someone by her side.

Tenten would give Sakura credit for being a single mom and a doctor at the same time, but there was only so much a person could do. She was going to need someone to be there for her when she needed support.

"…Well…. I don't really know how to explain it. Today when I walked into Sasuke's office….I…thought he was Sai." she said while looking at Tenten.

"Wait…What? What do you mean you thought he was Sai?" she asked.

"They just look so similar…and I can't believe you didn't notice it before. Think about it Tenten; put Sai's picture right next to Sasuke and what do you see? A striking resemblance that's what," she said while taking a sip from her iced tea.

"So what does this mean? Sasuke look similar to Sai and you can't move on because…? Sakura…" said Tenten while covering her hand over Sakura's. "I understand that you loved Sai. I really do. But you have to move on eventually and you have to stop using every excuse you can to avoid the subject. Think about Sora. He's going to need a father figure as he gets older. And do you really want to spend the rest of your life alone?" asked Tenten.

"No of course I don't…and I want Sora to have a father I really do but still…. I just…can't. The idea of loving anyone else but Sai is just so…I don't know. All I know is that I'm just not putting that on the front of my mind for now. Sora is all that matters to me right now." Sakura answered as she looked at her hands on her lap, particularly her ring finger.

After Sai died, she just couldn't wear her wedding ring anymore. Without Sai, it was just so difficult to see it and then be reminded that the man that gave it to her was no longer with her. She placed her wedding ring in a small velvet box and stored it away. She wanted to save it for Sora to give to a girl when he was ready to get married.

Tenten was right though. Sora was going to need a strong male influence in his life. Someone to play sports with, and to teach him how to drive, talk about guy stuff, and just someone to do all the things a dad was supposed to do. Was she being selfish? Was she depriving Sora the opportunity to have a father at a time in his life when a father is needed the most? Was she forcing him to live with only a memory for a father? Sora was only two when Sai died. He would never really remember him and it wasn't fair to make him live with a ghost.

Sakura sighed. She fell in love once and he was the only love of her life. How could she possibly do that again? No one can ever replace Sai. But she knew that at some point, Sora was going to need a father, and it was up to her to see that that happens. Trouble is it's just too hard to find true love….and it's near impossible to find it a second time around.


	4. Sora and Suki

**To love and to Love Again Chapter 4: Sora and Suki.**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Konoha Leaf Academy: Sora's POV**

After his mother dropped him off, Sora walked toward the main entrance. School term had already started three weeks ago but Sora only moved here last week. He walked past the entrance and went straight for the principal's office. He went up to the front desk and asked the woman who was sitting behind it that he was new and where he could fine his class.

"Okay just let me find you file." She said while she skimmed through her computer. Sora looked around the office for a bit. A large bulletin board was placed right above the couches and right next to the board was another corkboard with different pictures of kids on it.

One of the pictures stood out from the rest. It was a picture of a little girl with short black hair wearing a ballet costume. This picture was not taken in a classroom like the other students, but it looked like it was taken from a dance recital. She was holding a single rose and a little tiara above her head, but what made her stand out were her big green eyes. _"They look just like mom's eyes,"_ he thought. He read the name on the bottom of the picture: **Suki Uchiha**.

"Sora, I have your class number." The woman said. "It's Class 1-A. it's down the hall on your left side. Your teacher is Kurenai Sensei. Just give her this note." she said while handing him a yellow piece of paper.

Sora left the office and walked down the hall towards his classroom. When he reached the door, he could hear the sensei talking to the students about what they would be doing today. He opened the door and walked in. The sensei stopped talking and the whole class turned to look at him.

"Hello there. Is this your class?" she asked. She had black wavy hair that was let down and red eyes She was wearing the teacher version of their school uniform which consisted of a Black blazer with the Academy leaf symbol on the front pocket with a white blouse underneath and a long black skirt. She also wore a teachers badge around her neck that had her picture and name that read Yuhi Kurenai.

Sora went up to her and gave her the note from the office. She looked over it and then turned to the class. She motioned for Sora to stand next to her. The rest of the class was sitting around the rug in the center of the classroom.

"Okay class, even though school started not that long ago, we have a new student joining our class today. Everyone say hello to Sora Arisugaki," she said. Sora looked around the fairly large class. The class all muttered a hello to him.

"Well Sora, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?" Asked Kurenai Sensei.

"…Uh… I just moved here from Kyoto with my mom. She's a doctor. I like to draw stuff and put them up in my room. Sometimes I paint put most of the time I just like to draw in black." he said while scanning the room. His eyes landed on one particular girl who was sitting in the middle of the group. "_That's the girl with the same eyes as mom." _he thought.

"Oh so we have an artist in our class now. That's great, we paint every week here. You could start hanging your drawings here too if you like." said Kurenai Sensei. "You can take a seat anywhere you like on the rug and then after words I'll assign you a seat at the desks," she said.

Sora sat down towards the side of the rug. Kurenai Sensei talked a little bit more about what they would be doing today. Then she dismissed everyone to his or her seats. Since Sora didn't have a seat yet, he had to wait until Kurenai Sensei chose one for him.

"Hmmmm now where could I put you" she said while scanning the room. "Oh, you sit right by Akio" she said while pointing to a boy in the backside of the room. "Akio please raise your hand so that Sora can see you," she said.

The boy with spiky brown hair that was tied in the back raised his hand without even looking up from his work. Sora walked over to him and sat beside him.

"Hi, I'm Nara Akio," he said while turning to face Sora. Now that he was close up, Sora could see that he also had very light blue eyes and a pretty lazy demeanor.

"Hi…I'm Sora," he said while putting his book bag down. "But I already said that," he added.

"I didn't really pay attention…. school is boring." Akio confessed while putting his head down on the desk. "But my sister really likes it. She over there by the front," he said while indicating the direction with his eyes. Sora turned his head to see where he was pointing and saw a little blond girl with her hair in a high ponytail and she was sitting next to the girl from the dark haired girl from the picture in the office.

"How come you and your sister are in the same class? Did you fail or something?" asked Sora. Akio's head shot up from the desk with an annoyance in his lazy eyes.

"Nooooo…. Akira's my twin sister so we're supposed to be in the same grade," he said while laying his head back down. "How about you, do you have any brothers or sisters?" he asked.

"No, it's just me and my mom," Sora answered. "But I wish I had a one, that way it won't just be the two of us,"

"I think you're lucky," Akio replied. "Sisters are so dumb. My mom always tries to dress us the same and she always makes me take care of Akira. Plus people always get all mushy whenever they see us and Dad always compares us together," he said while sitting up again.

"I think you're lucky that you have a dad," Sora said in a small whisper so that Akio couldn't hear him.

He quickly changed his thoughts to something else. "Hey, Akio, whose that girl sitting next to your sister?" he asked.

" Hmmmm? Oh that's Suki. She's my sister's best friend." Said Akio.

* * *

**Suki's POV: **

"I'm so excited about our recital next week." Akira said. "My mommy said that she would make wings for us to out on our backs. That way we could actually look like the swans." she said while gathering up her crayons in the crayon box.

"Really? Cool I can't wait to get mine. I want lots of glitter on it so that my Daddy can see me right away," Suki exclaimed. They were currently sitting at their desks and happily drawing whatever they wanted. Suki was in the middle of drawing her and her Daddy. Now Suki, being the five-year-old that she is, was not the best artist so it ended up looking more like stick figures with giant heads and defined hair.

"There!" she said as she finished her drawing. She picked up a black crayon and wrote "Daddy and Me" on the bottom as neatly as she could. Then she held it up for inspection. "What do you think Akira?" she asked as she showed her best friend the picture.

Akira laughed a little. "Are you sure that's your dad? He looks more like that new kid sitting with my brother," she said while pointing to the back of the class. Suki turned around to inspect the new kid once again. When she turned, she saw that he was busily drawing something with a black marker and talking to Akio at the same time. She saw him show Akio the picture and then saw Akio's eyes grow wide.

"_That must be a really good drawing," _She thought since Akio rarely showed any interest in anything anyway. That must be some picture for him to look so fascinated.

Suki looked at the new kid one more time. Now that she saw him, he really did look more like the figure in her drawing, or more importantly, he kind of looked like her dad. He had the same raven hair she had but his was a little spiky like her dad only not as much. His eyes looked really dark too. Suddenly, this new kid became more interesting.

She must have been starring because Akira had to shake her to get her attention. "Suki! What's the matter? I called you and you didn't say anything. What were you looking at?" she asked looking slightly annoyed.

"…nothing," Suki muttered as she heard the bell signaling lunch go off. She and the rest of the class started packing up their stuff in their little cubicles and started bringing out their lunches. Some kids would get lunch from the cafeteria so the whole class had to walk there together with Kurenai Sensei leading them in 2 straight lines; one line for boys and the other line for girls.

Suki was one of the kids that had to buy lunch. So as soon as they entered the cafeteria, she and Akira went to the lunch line. A little behind them was Akio and Sora. Suki picked out what she wanted from the line: a grilled cheese sandwich with some tomato soup; her favorite lunch. She also picked out a carton of apple juice. After she and Akira paid for their lunches, they both took their trays to a table in the center of the room.

"My Mommy said that she's going to pick us up today after school instead of Daddy. Then we'll go to ballet practice. She even said that we could help make the wings for the recital," Akira announced as she was chewing on her sandwich.

"Okay. I'm so excited. I've can't wait." Suki replied as she almost knocked over her soup in her excitement.

"Can't wait for what?" asked a voice from behind. It was Akio and next to him was the new kid. They both sat down on the opposite side of the table across from the girls.

"For the recital," Suki answered. "We get to help make the wings!" she said as if it was the most exciting thing in the world. Akio sighed and turned to Sora.

"That's boring," he said to Suki before turning to Sora. "I always have to go to their ballet practice. It's too troublesome. Well…that's what my Dad say's anyway." he said while he turned to face the girls.

"This is Sora by the way. Sora this is my sister Akira and that's Suki." he said while he pointed to her. Sora looked at both of them and said "Hi,"

"Hi Sora. Do you like our school?" asked Suki.

"It's okay I guess. I just don't like these uniforms. They make me really hot and their not that comfortable," he said while slightly tugging on his collar.

Suki and Akira chuckled a bit. At least they got to wear skirts. It was August, so the weather was still pretty warm. Sora took his coat off and put in behind his chair. Akio did the same thing claiming that the coat was just a bother.

They four of them began to chat animatedly with one another. Akio and Akira would often get into arguments about who was loved more by their parent, in which Akira would win because her brother would give up soon after they started. Suki and Sora would laugh every time Akio would call his sister "troublesome" in which she would reply that he should stop copying their Dad in saying that everything is troublesome. Then they all started to talk about their parents.

"What do you guys parents do?" asked Sora.

"My Dad's a Scientist. He studies stuff and then makes medicine to give to the hospitals. I'd say that's a pretty boring job." said Akio.

"I think our Mommy has a cool job. She's our ballet instructor," Akira added. "She really pretty and she dances really nice," said Akira. At the mention of mothers, Suki's face became a little depressed.

"Oh that's cool...I guess…so what do your parents do Suki?" asked Sora. He noticed that her smile was kind of sad.

"Oh, well my Daddy is the boss of a really big hospital. He said he's called the C. E. O. but I don't know what that means," Then she became a little hesitant. "And I don't have a mommy…. so it's just me and my Daddy," she finished. She tried to smile and she did, but it was forced. Somehow it didn't seem real.

"But I also have my Grandma and Grandpa and my Uncle Itachi and Uncle Naruto and Aunty Hinata and Uncle Neji and Aunty Tenten," she said. As she listed off all her supposed aunts and uncles, Sora recognized the last two as his own godparents.

"You have an Uncle Neji and Aunt Tenten? So do I," he said with surprise in his voice. "Are they doctors?" he asked. Suki nodded. "That's them I'm sure of it. So they're your aunt and uncle too?"

"…Um I think so." Suki said in an uncertain voice. "I'll ask my Daddy. But right now I'm confused," she said Suki,"

"Yeah…me too. I'll bet my mom will know something about it," Sora replied.

"Your Mommy's a Doctor huh? Then maybe she works at my Daddy's hospital. Daddy says that it's the biggest hospital in Japan," Suki said. Somehow, the thought of having someone else's mom working at her daddy's hospital sounded nice.

"You guys have the same aunt and uncle?" asked Akira. "So does that mean that you're like, cousins or something?" asked Akio

"I think so. I don't know. Anyway, I'll just wait until I see my Mom. Then I'll ask her," said Sora.

Lunch ended after that and everyone went back into their classrooms. The rest of the day went by pretty quickly and before they knew it, it was time to go home. Akio, Akira, Sora and Suki all walked out together along with the rest of the class and Kurenai sensei as well.

Students were all searching for their rides and one by one, everyone started to leave the school. A blue van pulled into the front of the school and honked to get the kids attention. Inside the van Sora could see that there was a woman with really long blond hair tied in a high ponytail just like Akira.

"That's our mom." Akio said. "We have to go to their boring dance practice now. Girls are such a pain," Akio whined. "See you tomorrow Sora!" he said.

"Yeah…bye Sora," Said Akira as she and her brother started walking towards their mother.

"I'm going with them so I'll see you tomorrow too. Bye Sora," said Suki as she ran to catch up with the others. They all got into the van and left. After they were gone, Sora sat on the steps in front of the school and pulled out his sketchpad. He flipped through the pages until he found the picture he was working on earlier today.

It was a sketch of a Ninja warrior holding a sword. Although it wasn't the most perfect picture, it was still a very good drawing considering he was only five. He showed it to Akio who thought it was the coolest thing ever. He continued to draw on it since he wasn't finished with it yet.

Not long after he settled down to draw, Sora recognized his mother's car pull up in front. She parked the car and stepped out. She scouted the area until she spotted Sora sitting on the steps in front of the school with his sketchpad out.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Sakura finished getting all her errands at the hospital done. She had met a few nice people on her first day. One of them was a lovely nurse named Hinata. Hinata showed her the ropes on her patient's listings and appointment timings for the next day. Later on she found out that Hinata was actually Naruto's wife. They were newly-weds and have barley been married for three months. As if the world wasn't any smaller, Hinata was also Neji's cousin. Who knew!

It was nearing 3pm and Sakura had to get going in order to pick Sora up on time. Her baby was done with his first day at school and she didn't want to be late picking him up. Since the school was so close to the hospital, I didn't take long for her to get there. She pulled into a parking spot and stepped out. When she saw her son sitting on the steps absorbed in his sketchpad, she couldn't help but recall a pleasant memory.

_6 years ago…_

_Sakura was sitting under her favorite tree on the campus reading from one of her anatomy books. She was on chapter 14 which consisted of the female reproductive system. Sakura had just started her final year at Tokyo University where she aspired to become a doctor. Her boyfriend Sai was supposed to meet her here after classes ended but he never showed._

_"Where the hell is he?" she said to herself as she looked around the campus. There was no sign of him anywhere. Sakura was starting to get annoyed. Sai was supposed to be here 2 hours ago. What could he have possibly been doing? She tried calling him but it just went straight to his voicemail._

_"I'll be there by 3 pm my ass!" she huffed angrily as she repeated what he had promised her. "You'd better have a good excuse Sai." She said as she opened her book again and tried to concentrate but to no avail. She was just dying to know where Sai was. He must have gotten caught up in one of his drawings again. Being in love with an Artist is sometimes not as romantic as it may seem. They tend to get caught up in their own little world and "shut themselves out of reality" as Sai once told her._

_But what if it wasn't his work that got him caught up? What if something happened? What if he was hurt? Now she officially freaked herself out. She grabbed her phone and was about to try to call him again when she heard her name from across the street._

_"Sakura!"_

_She turned to the sound and saw Sai running up to her with that stupid smile on his face. For a brief second she felt relieved that nothing had happened to him but that soon vanished when she saw that smile. "__What the hell's he so happy about. He just kept me waiting for 2 hours!" she thought. _

_"You were supposed to be here by three Sai. Where the hell were you? I thought you might have been hurt or something but you seem to be fine," She said._

_Sai came up to her and pulled her into a hug. "I was here at three; I just didn't walk up to you," He said while inhaling her scent. Sakura quickly pulled away from him._

_"What the hell? You were here but you didn't tell me? What the hell were you doing for almost two hours without telling me?" she shouted. Sai was really toying with her and she was about to snap. She almost lost it when he just kept smiling at her._

_"I was watching you," he said while he walked towards her again. That caught Sakura off guard._

_"…What? From where? I didn't see you anywhere. And more importantly, Why?" She said. It's kind of creepy to know that someone was watching you for a while, even if that someone is your beloved boyfriend._

_"I got here at 3 like I said I would, but then…. I saw you sitting by that tree," He said while standing right in front of her._

_"You looked too peaceful to interrupt so I went behind that tree over there…" he pointed to a tree that was not really that far from where she was. "I watched you for a while…that's when I decided that I wanted to draw you. I couldn't resist." He said as he pulled out his sketchpad from his book bag and showed her the drawing._

_Sakura looked at the picture and was amazed. It was a very well defined sketch of her sitting by her favorite tree. Except in the picture, she wasn't wearing her regular clothes. Sai had incorporated a very beautiful dress on her instead. On the bottom he wrote "The Love of My Life". Sakura started to tear up a bit. All her anger and irritation from before seemed to vanish right then and there._

"_I had read that romantic gestures help diffuse anger," he said. She chuckled at his random sayings. _

_"Being in love with an Artist is more romantic than I thought," She said as she kept her eyes on the picture. She couldn't help but smile. Sometimes Sai could be the most insufferable inconsiderate person ever, but then other times, he could just be the most passionate man on the planet._

_"I told you once that an artist lives for his art. He absorbs himself into it and closes the outside world. But when that world is you, Sakura, I can do nothing more than make you the focus of my art," Said Sai as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight._

_Sakura let herself be held by him. Who knew that he was such a softy? She circled her arms around his neck while holding the drawing in her hand. They held each other for a while. She could hear his heart beating as she rested her head on his chest. It was the most beautiful sound she could hear because she knew that his heart beat only for her._

_The sun started to set a while back. Now the sky was a pretty bluish purple color and a few stars could be seen. The campus was pretty much deserted, and only Sai and Sakura remained. They started to walk back to their apartment. They had decided to move in together only recently. They've been dating for over 3 years and even though they were still young (__**19 at the moment**__) they knew that they were meant to be together._

_On the walk home, Sakura flipped through Sai's sketchbook. Sai was such a talented guy. He had the most creative mind imaginable and the most skillful hands that created beautiful works of art. Sai was also an accomplished photographer. Whenever he wasn't drawing, he would be snapping pictures for graphic designers and landscape architectures and of Sakura but that was on his free time._

_"We're home again," he said as they reached their apartment door. He unlocked the door and they stepped inside. Sai immediately went into the kitchen saying that he needed a glass of water. Sakura made her way to their bedroom to put her books away and to get changed._

_She walked into their room and dropped her books at the sight before her. There were rose petals scattered everywhere and their entire room was light with a bunch of candles. There was a trail of white rose petals that lead up to their bed and at the center Sakura could see a small velvet box with a small note card attached to it._

_She slowly walked up to the box and picked it up. The card read a simple 'I Love You'. Her hands were shaking. She opened the box and gasped. She was looking at an engagement ring. It was nice and simple. A gold band with a single princess cut diamond. She was so shocked that she didn't even notice Sai walk into the room just then and stand in front of her._

_He took the ring from the box and he actually got down on one knee. Sakura couldn't stop the tears that were pouring from her eyes._

_"I know were young. But life's too short to wait around. I want nothing more than to have you be my wife, now and forever…. I love you Sakura Haruno. Will you marry me?" he asked with the grace to blush as well._

_Sakura threw her arms over him and started crying her eyes out. "YES! YES! Of course I'll marry you Sai. I love you so much!" she cried. He stood up and slipped the ring on her finger, and then he crashed his lips onto hers in a sweet but passionate kiss. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her weight against him; she was so weak at the knee's right now that she felt she was about to fall._

_Sai picked her up bridal style and lead her to their bed where they wasted no time in ripping their clothes off and devouring each other. After they exhausted themselves out, they lay asleep in each other's arms._

_Sakura's head was spinning, partly because of what she just did and because she was getting married! And she was getting married to SAI! She didn't think anything in this world would ever make her happier than she is now. Absolutely nothing!_

Sakura couldn't help but smile at the memory. Back then she thought that nothing else could make her as happy as Sai did.

_"Oh how wrong I was,"_ she thought as she looked up at her son that was running up to her. Sora…the light of her life.

"Hi Mommy," Said Sora as he ran right into her arms. Even though he pretends to be a big boy, he still loved his Mommy more than anything.

"My baby…" she whispered as a single tear slide down her cheek.

The love between Sakura and Sai brought forth the greatest gift imaginable…their precious baby boy. And even though she lost the love of her life, she will always have a part of Sai with her…every time she looks into her son's eyes.


	5. Small World

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 5:** **Small World** **After All**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Sasuke's POV:**

After the meeting with Sakura, Sasuke spent the rest of the day in his office getting the usual paper work done. He would have to leave soon to pick up Suki from her ballet practice. Normally, his mother would do that but seeing as how she was in Osaka with his father, he would have to get her himself. He was just finishing of an employee review when his intercom went off.

"Mr. Uchiha, Naruto is here," said Mai.

Sasuke pushed the button and told her to send him in. After about 30 seconds, Naruto came bursting in through the door.

"Hey teme, what's up?" asked Naruto as he flopped down on one of the armchairs in front of Sasuke's desk. Even though Sasuke was his boss, Naruto still opted to treat him the same way he always has since they first met in middle school; that included calling him "Teme" in front of anyone and everyone and acting as if Sasuke didn't have the power to fire him.

"I have a name, dobe," Sasuke muttered in an aloof manner.

"So do I but that doesn't stop you from calling me "dobe" does it?" he retorted. "Anyway, I heard some of those Nurses went ahead and nagged about paper work and me not getting it done on time. Seriously I'm a physical therapist. My time is spent with the patient and getting them back on their feet, not sitting in front of a computer and inputting their history," he said in a frustrated voice.

"None-the-less, that paper work has to be done and until we can find someone else to fill in the secretary position at the billing center, you're the only one that can do it. The nurses have their own patients to deal with and a little down time wouldn't kill you," said Sasuke while stuffing the remaining paper work into their proper files.

"Yeah yeah," Said Naruto in an exasperated voice. "Anyway, it's not like the patient history analysis is of any importance once the patient has been discharged. I just wish they would lay off me. Seriously, it's like they got nothing better to do than nag all friggin day."

Sasuke starred at him in a questioning manner. "You do know that you're married to a nurse right?" said Sasuke remembering the chief nurse Hinata.

Naruto smiled thoughtfully. "I know. But Hinata's different. She doesn't harass the hell out of me for useless junk. You know how nice and soft-spoken she is. Her voice is like music to my ears after listening to the nonstop nagging from most of the nurses here. They could learn a thing or two about patient care from her," he said with pride in his voice.

"She's doing a great job as our chief nurse. By the way, are you and Hinata busy this weekend?" asked Sasuke.

"We're pretty much free, Why?" asked Naruto

"Suki wants the two of you to come to her ballet recital. My parents won't be able to make it so she's got two extra tickets. Plus, she hasn't seen you guys in a while. This place has been busier than usual," Sasuke responded as he leaned back in his chair.

"Tell me about it. I've been cramming sessions with two patients at a time with all the time I've got. Anyway, Hinata and I will definitely be there. After all, she is our goddaughter," Said Naruto. "Hey, speaking of Suki, aren't you supposed to be getting her by now?" asked Naruto as he checked his watch.

Sasuke looked at the clock and cursed, it was five minutes to 5pm. "Shit! I got to go." He said as he quickly gathered his things and walked out of his office.

"Don't even bother rushing it. Traffic is a nightmare at this time of the day," Naruto shouted while walking toward the elevator with Sasuke.

Sasuke pushed the button to go down. After the doors opened, they walked in and pushed for the first floor. Naruto got off on the 7th floor, claiming that he wanted to see Hinata who should have been working in the neonatal ICU.

After Sasuke got into his car, it was already five minutes past 5pm. "Dammit. I need to call her." He said while flipping open his cell phone.

* * *

**Yamanaka Dance Studio: Suki's POV**

"That was fun. I'm glad I got to make my own wings," Suki said happily. She held up her wings and couldn't stop giggling over how pretty they were. Since she couldn't wait till the glitter dried, some of it kept chipping off and falling in her hair.

"Suki, you have to let your wings dry properly if you want all that glitter to stick," Ino said.

Ino Yamanaka Nara was her instructor as well as Akio and Akira's mom. She was a beautiful woman with long straight blond hair that was tied in a bun at the moment and light blue eyes; the same eyes as both Akio and Akira. She was pretty tall and being a dancer, she was also very fit. She was wearing a black leotard with black drawstring pants over it and pink ballet shoes. At first glance, you would never guess that she was a mother and to twins no less.

"Here," she said as she took the wings away from Suki. "Let's just put them here for the time being," She placed them on the counter near the entrance where it was out of Suki's reach. "This way, more of the glitter will stay on your wings instead of getting in your hair," said Ino while dusting some of it out of Suki's hair. Akira came up to the two of them while holding her wings as well.

"Mommy, what do you think of my wings?" asked Akira as she held them up for her mother to see. Ino and Suki looked over at Akira and observed the wings.

"Nice work honey. Here, let me put them by Suki's wings. Yours doesn't look quit dry yet either," She said while taking Akira's wings and walking over towards the counter.

"I can't wait until the recital. We're going to look so cool!" squealed Akira

"I know. I want my Daddy to see the wings I made. That's why I put extra glitter on mine," Said Suki.

"Yeah, you got it all over your hair too. It looks all gold and sparkly," Said Akira while trying to help Suki brush off the remaining glitter.

It was nearing 5 pm, which meant that class was going to close soon. One by one, girls were getting picked up by their moms. Everyone was showing their mom the wings that they made that day and relaying all that had happened during practice. Ino was also talking to some of the moms that she had gotten to know while teaching their daughters.

Suki watched the scene before her. Normally she would have her Grandma pick her up after practice and she would tell her all that had happened today. But her Grandma wasn't in town this week and her Daddy was supposed to pick her up.

After watching all her friends with their moms, Suki couldn't help but feel a little sad and jealous. She had never known her mother and never knew what a mothers love was like. She never knew the feeling of having a mom, but she could feel that it was definitely missing; that empty space in her heart for a special lady that makes you feel like a princess. The person that's there to help you gets dressed in the morning and makes breakfast, lunch and dinner for you. She was the lady that helps you with your homework and kisses your scrapes after you fall down and the lady that your daddy was supposed to be in love with.

Suki loved her Daddy with all her heart. He was the only parent she ever knew. But he just wasn't a mommy. To a girl, a mommy is a very special lady and her daddy just couldn't do some of the stuff a mommy could. Suki was even a little envious of Akira and her mom. They could dance together and even go home with each other after. And Akira had a brother too. It was times like these when Suki felt extremely alone. Although she would never show it and try to hide behind smiles and laughter, she couldn't hide the fact that she didn't have a mommy or a brother or sister and sometimes she even felt like she didn't have a daddy because she didn't get to see him as much when he works late.

Her cell phone ringing snapped Suki out of her thoughts. She took out her phone from her backpack and answered it.

"Hello?" she said into the little pink phone.

"Hey Tenshi. It's Daddy," Sasuke said through the phone.

"Hi Daddy! Are you coming to pick me up? Everyone is leaving now. And I want to show you my wings," She said into the small phone.

"I know Tenshi, but I'm going to be a little late. I got off of work kind of late but I'll be there in fifteen minutes I promise. Stay with your teacher until I get there alright?" he asked.

"Okay Daddy,"

"Bye Tenshi, I'll be there soon. Hang on," He said before hanging up.

Suki sighed. She went up to Ino and told her what her dad said. Ino agreed to hang out a little more until Suki's father picked her up. Akio, who was sitting by the window and watching the clouds disappear, came over and started to complain about staying here longer.

"You mean we have stay here even longer? This is such a pain," he said unhappily.

"Put a sock in it Akio!" said Akira. "If you don't want to be here then find somewhere else to go after school. Why don't you go to work with Daddy?" she asked.

"Because that's even more boring than this," he retorted. "And last time he forgot about me and went home. Then Mommy made him come back for me," he said remembering the bothersome event.

Akira and Suki laughed at this. "Oh yeah, Mommy was so mad when Daddy came back without you. And I've never seen Daddy run so fast before," Akira said, giggling.

"Whatever" said Akio. "But watching you girls and your dances is so troublesome,"

Ino was finished seeing all the other students off and came back to join her kids and Suki. "Well Akio, I keep telling you you're welcome to join the class if you want. We could always use more male dancers," Said Ino while straightening his spiky brown hair a bit.

"Boys don't dance Mommy," Said Akira. "Akio's too lazy anyway,"

Ino sighed. "I know honey I know, he's just like your lazy father," she said while hugging Akio despite his protests. Suki smiled at them. Akio and Akira had no idea how lucky they were to have both parents. Being twins, they also had each other regardless of how much they fight with one another.

"…_I wish I had a mommy…or even a brother or sister,"_ she thought. Ten minutes had passed by and a car could be seen pulling up in front of the school. Sasuke stepped out of it and came into the school.

Suki saw her dad and squealed "Daddy!" while running up to him. He picked her up and gave her a hug.

"Sorry I was late Suki," He said.

"That's ok Daddy. You want to see my wings? I made them today," she said as she told him to move to the counter near the entrance. Sasuke pulled out her wings and examined them.

They're nice Tenshi. You got some glitter in your hair," he said, noticing all the glitter that was falling from her hair onto his black suit. Ino and the twins came over to them.

"Hello Sasuke. It's good to see you again and I see that you got a sneak peek at Suki's costume," Ino said.

"Hi Ino. Yeah, it does going to be pretty hard missing her on stage with all this gold falling off her," she said as he put the set of wings back on the counter. "By the way, do you know when Shikamaru said he would be able to send in those research files?"

Shikamaru Nara was head of research and development for the Tokyo Research and Development Center. He was in and out of KMC often and would attend the occasional board meetings regarding the newest advancements and progress on pending test trial runs for new medicine. Naturally, as with Naruto and Neji, Shikamaru was also a very good friend of his and the Nara children were really good friends with Suki.

"Actually he said he would call you at home about that. He's been working on a few other cases for a while but he said that you should have them by the end of this week," Ino answered.

"Alright then" he said before focusing on Suki. "Uncle Naruto and Aunt Hinata said that they could make it to your play."

"Really? All right! That means that were going to go out for Ramen after the show," Suki said with enthusiasm. She absolutely loved her godparents. Her uncle Naruto would play any game that she asked him to and her Aunt Hinata made the best double fudge cookies in the world and Suki had quite the sweet tooth so that really meant something.

Speaking of aunts and uncles, Suki remembered Sora and her Uncle Neji and Aunt Tenten.

"Hey Daddy?" she said "I met a boy today!" said Suki in an innocent excitement in her voice. It was like the sound of a record scratching interrupting his thoughts. To Sasuke that statement was not exactly the most welcoming thing he could have heard.

"_What the hell? What does she mean she met a boy? She's barely five!" _he thought.

"He told me something. He said that he has an Uncle Neji and an Aunt Tenten too. Does that mean that were cousins?" she said excitedly.

"Who was this boy?" asked Sasuke.

"He said his name is Sora Arisugaki and he's a new kid at our school," she said. "He has really dark hair like me and you and really dark eyes too. He said his Mommy is a doctor. Does she work at your hospital Daddy?" At the mention of the name Arisugaki, Ino suddenly became interested.

"…Wait…that name rings a bell. That can't be Sakura's kid that she's talking about can it?" Ino muttered to herself. Sasuke heard her and then he started to put the pieces together. Sakura did say that she had a son that went to Suki's school and that Neji and Tenten were his godparents. The question was how did Ino know her?

"Sakura Haruno?" Sasuke asked. Ino nodded. "How do you know her?"

"She's an old friend of mine from way back in elementary school. We used to take ballet lesson together. I haven't heard from her in years though. Last time I talked to her she was in college and got engaged. That surname sounded familiar. I never knew she had a child though. We lost contact after freshman year in college. But man, what a coincidence that our children know each other. I should call her and see what she's up to. From what I know now, she's a doctor. Does she work for you then?" she asked turning to Sasuke.

"She does now. I had a meeting with her this morning. She's going to start work tomorrow. Go ahead and call her at the hospital then," he said.

"You bet I will. This really is a small world isn't it?" she asked.

"Hn," he said. "As for you little lady," he said while facing Suki, "This Sora kid isn't your cousin but supposedly you guys share and aunt and uncle. So let me get that straightened out with his Mommy and then I'll let you know…ok?" he asked.

"Okay" She said. Just then Suki's tummy growled. "Daddy, I'm hungry!" she pouted. Sasuke chuckled

"I heard your stomach say so," he said while tickling her belly a little. "We should get going then," He said as turned to face Ino and the twins. "Tell Shikamaru to give me a call when he gets the chance,"

Ino nodded and after saying their goodbyes, Sasuke and Suki went back to the car and left to go and get some dinner.

"So what do you want to have for dinner?" asked Sasuke while driving downtown. Suki thought for a bit. "I want some beef Ramen!" she said. Sasuke resisted the urge to sigh. She sounded just like Naruto at lunchtime. _"The dobe would be so proud"_ he thought.

After they went to Naruto's favorite ramen stand called 'Ichiraku's' they went home. After Suki had showered and got dressed in her princess nightgown, Sasuke tucked her in bed.

"…. Daddy?" said Suki quietly.

"Yes Tenshi?" he asked.

"…. What was…. my mommy like?" she asked hesitantly. Sasuke tensed a bit. He never really spoke of Aya that much and since Suki never knew her, he figured it would be easier to just not bring up the subject. But he knew he couldn't avoid the topic forever. Suki was at that age when she's going to start to notice more and more about family structure and how the world really works.

But in all honesty, what should he tell her? That he married Aya out of duty? That she was in love with someone else and he never knew what love was? That Suki was conceived in a test tube and not from love? These things were just way too much for a four almost five-year-old to handle. _"Crap like that could emotionally scar her for life"_ he thought. "_But I can't lie to her. I knew this day would come eventually. Better keep it safe." _He thought.

He got up and said he would be back in a second. He went to Aya's old room (that was turned into a guest bedroom over the years) and shuffled though the closets until he found what he was looking for. He grabbed the picture frame and walked back to Suki's room. She was still lying in bed but wide-awake at the same time. He knelt down to her level.

"…This is your mommy," He said while handing her the picture. Suki took it, her eyes scanning the person in the frame. She had never actually seen her mother's face before. In her almost five years of life, Sasuke has never once brought her up and he never kept any pictures of Aya in the house. Suki looked onto the face of her mother, the woman she would never know.

The picture was of Aya in her wedding gown. She was standing in the garden of the church that they got married in. Suki's eyes widened at the sight.

"Her name was Aya," Said Sasuke after Suki's still didn't say anything. Her eyes were glued to the picture.

"…. My mommy… she was so pretty. She looks like a princess," Said Suki. She thought the picture was beautiful. Her mother had her brown hair down and tied in the back. She had a friendly face and the most amazing green eyes. She looked happy.

"Yeah she does look like a princess, just like you," said Sasuke. "And that's not all. You have her eyes Suki." He said while pointing at Aya's face. Suki looked at the picture and couldn't stop the tears that welled up in her eyes. They slid down her face and fell on the glass of the picture frame, startling Sasuke who quickly wiped the tears off her face.

"What's wrong Tenshi?" he asked while bringing her closer to sit on his lap. Suki furiously wiped the tears from her face.

"…Sniff…. nothing…. I just really miss her. Even though…sniff…I don't know…her…. sniff…I still miss her…" she said while finally cracking and quietly crying on Sasuke's shoulder. "I wish she was here…. I want my Mommy!" she cried. She buried her face in his chest and just cried her eyes out. All the times of getting ready for school, having dinner, coming home, dancing in the recitals and watching other girls with their moms just came all out in Suki's tears.

All she wanted was to have a Mommy: someone to help her shop for clothes and do her hair and make her dinner and bake cookies with; a mom that can help her get ready for recital and watch her dance on stage; a mom that can take care of her when she's sick and be there for her daddy because she knew that he was lonely too.

Sasuke held her to him tightly while stroking her short black hair. He gently rocked her back and forth until she finally cried herself to sleep. He laid her back into bed and tucked her in again. He pushed the strands of hair out of her face and placed her favorite stuffed pig Ton ton next to her. She was still sniffling a bit whenever she breathed in and out.

It absolutely killed Sasuke to see her like this. It was made clear, now more than ever, that she would need a mother and that was up to him to make it happened. At the same time he knew that he couldn't rush into something like a relationship. That involved commitment and time and this time around, he had a daughter to think about. He didn't want her getting attached to someone only to have in not work out between them and have her experience a loss once again.

But he had to do what's best for Suki, and that included finding her a mother that will love her as if Suki was her own child. That in itself was a challenge. Sasuke had received plenty of attention from women over the years but he never paid a second of attention to them. He was not a relationship guy. He had never been in love before. It's why Aya's death wasn't as hard as it should have been. She was friend to him and he was affected by her death but not as a husband should be.

In this world, that held much pain and was often times unfair to those that don't deserve it, Sasuke vowed that he would do everything in his power to make the effort to find a woman fitting enough to be Suki's mother. His daughter deserved the love a mother has to offer. She was barely five years old but already she was hurting and it was pain that even the most loving of fathers would never be able to heal.

"_Suki…I promise you, I will find you a mommy. I will do anything it takes to give you the love you deserve." _It was a silent promise, but it was a promise that he was determined to fulfill.


	6. Mr Uchiha and Dr Haruno

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 6: Mr. Uchiha and Dr. Haruno**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Tokyo never really went to sleep. It was one of those cities where there's always some kind of activity going on. Therefore, it was only appropriate that Japan be the first country on the planet to see the sun after its rotation on the earth. Waste no time and live life. That's not how a certain pink haired doctor felt right about now. Yet again, she forgot to close the curtains, which would have blocked her view from the accursed rays of the sun. That's just the price you pay for getting used to sleeping on the side of the bed that faces the window. You get a not so pleasant wake up call.

"This has got to stop," she mumbled as she shifted her weight on the bed. She turned to the alarm clock and forced herself to get up. Today was Sakura's first day at work, not to mention, another first day for Sora. Since she wouldn't be able to pick him up from school from now on, she decided that he should participate in an after school activity. Sora had decided that he would take the Karate class. Sakura assumed he would want to take art, but he claimed that he didn't need classes because he was already good at it. The club lasted an extra two hours after school giving her enough time to finish work and pick him up.

Yawning, she stretched a bit before starting her morning routine of a shower and then getting ready. After she showered, she went to her closet and picked out a pair of new scrubs that she got from the hospital yesterday. She had a few color choice that included blue, pink, and green. She decided to go with the pink scrubs today. She would also have to keep a pair of each color at the hospital in her office. You never know when you need a new pair of scrubs. Sakura got dressed quickly and went to go wake Sora up.

She walked into his room and woke him up. After informing him of the time, Sora bolted out of bed and headed straight towards the bathroom, not before Sakura heard him slip on the rug…again. A quick inspection for cuts or bruises later, Sora was in the bathroom freshening up and Sakura was headed downstairs to make breakfast.

After breakfast, they got in the car and left for school. Once they got there, Sora could see Akio and Akira walking towards the school together. He got out of the car and said goodbye to his mother.

"Bye sweetheart," she said before she drove off. Sora ran to catch up with Akio and Akira. They both turned around at the sound of their names being called.

"Hey Sora," Akio shouted as he and Akira stopped walking to face Sora.

"Hi guys,"Sora greeted. "Where's Suki?" he asked while looking around for her.

"Over there" said Akira as she pointed towards the front of the school. Sora turned around to see Suki getting off a motorcycle with a man that kind of looked like her. "_Is that her Dad? He looks…cool,"_ thought Sora as he watched the man give Suki a kiss on the forehead. The man got on the motorcycle and watched her make her way towards them. He locked eyes with Sora for a moment before leaving. Suki was running toward them with her book bag swinging in one arm and another bag in the other arm.

"Hi everybody," said Suki. She was slightly out of breath from the running. Everyone said hello in return. Then Sora just had to ask.

"Hey Suki? Was that your dad on the motorcycle?" Suki giggled a little.

"Nope!" she said while smiling. "That was my Uncle Itachi. He drops me off to school now because my Grandma isn't home right now and my Daddy can't do it. He's so cool because he drives a motorcycle and then I get to ride in the back and it's really fun!"

"Oh…cool. I want a motorcycle when I grow up," Sora declared with a slightly awed expression on his face.

"Yeah and I want to ride one too" said Akira with the same dreamy expression.

"I want to take a nap…."said Akio in a sleepy voice while walking toward the school. The others laughed and followed him in before the bell rang signaling the start of school.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Sakura walked into the lobby at Konoha Medical Center. The first thing she had to do was find Hinata at the nursing department and get her list of patients. She walked with her latte from the cart in front of the entrance with her purse slung over her shoulder. She was wearing the pink scrubs she picked this morning and simple white tennis shoes. She also had her White doctor's coat over the scrubs with "**Haruno Sakura MD**" sewn in blue on the coat.

She walked to the elevator and pushed for the second floor. Every floor had a nursing department but the main one was one the second floor. Hinata said that she should be there in the morning. Sakura was nervous yet excited at the same time. Konoha Medical was the best of the best. It was the largest hospital in the country and had the most advanced technologies at its disposal but what really intrigued Sakura was the patient care. In a recent study, KMC was rated number one in the country in patient care and had the highest success rates in recovery and treatment. 95% of patients made it out alive and only 5% were labeled as beyond help.

The elevator stopped and Sakura exited on the second floor, which contained the Critical intensive Care unit. She made her way thought the halls passing the ICU and spotted the nursing station just beyond it. As she walked closer, she spotted Hinata putting some charts on the proper racks.

"Good morning Hinata," she greeted as she walked up to her. Hinata had her back turned to her so she turned and smiled.

"Good Morning Sakura. Are you ready for today? It does get pretty hectic," Hinata warned.

"_What's with everyone trying to prepare me for rush hour?" _she thought before sighing. "_I guess I just have to prove myself," _she thought before saying "Yeah, I'm ready for anything. So how many patients do I have to see today?" she asked. Hinata brought out a list with some charts to go with them.

"These patients are scheduled for today. You have three OB patients that need a general screening and one pediatric case on the 10th floor. Not much for today as far as appointments and rounds but the ER is another case altogether. You'll be on call for that if any children or expectant mothers rush though the door and some general cases if it comes up. Speaking of on call, here's your pager," said Hinata as she handed Sakura a small black pager with her name on it.

"The patients are all downstairs in the clinic. When you're done with them, check on the pediatric patient. It's early so he should still be asleep," she said while struggling to hand the huge pile of files to Sakura. For only four patients, those were pretty big files.

"Thanks Hinata. I can't wait to see who my first patient will be," She said as she easily held on to all the files in one hand. "_I don't see what Naruto's complaining about,"_ she thought.

Hinata told Sakura to call her for lunch so that they could sit together and get to know each other better. After that, Sakura headed downstairs. When the elevator doors opened, she was a bit surprised to see Sasuke there, sitting in the lobby. Then she remembered that he was going to be with her all day to see how she copes. It was a weird condition, but she just figured the hospital was very invested in their doctors. She walked up to him and he stood up as soon as she approached him.

"Hello Sasuke," she said while shifting the files to her other arm. "Are you ready to see what I can do?" She saw him smirk.

"From what you have on your resume, I expect to be amazed. So the question is: are you ready to impress me?" he asked trying to read her expression. He smirked again when he saw her raise her eyebrow.

"Hmmmm, I'm ready to help my patients and save some lives…but impressing you is the least of my concerns. If it happens, then that's just a bonus," She said while walking towards the clinic.

Sasuke was a little surprise by her answer but non-the-less, he was already a little impressed with her. Most employees are rather intimidated by him because of his status in the hospital not to mention his overall appearance. He really did have that bad-boy image going on with the slightly cold personality and overall dark appearance from his hair to his eyes to his towering height of 6ft 1in.

With the exception of his friends and family, no one really spoke to him with confidence, especially women. Women were the absolute worst when they were around him; either they were too nervous to say anything straight, or they were just too damn flirtatious. It was rare that he would meet a woman around his age that was neither nervous nor flirtatious. But then again, wasn't she married? If she were, then of course she wouldn't flirt with another man.

Sakura stopped walking when she realized he wasn't following her. "Are you coming Sasuke?" she asked. Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts and walked towards her. Together they made their way towards the clinic. On the way, Sasuke would tell her of certain hospital rules and regulations that were basic but important to know for the entire staff. Sakura listened to him and absorbed all the info such as the emergency drills they have randomly about twice a year and about the outside services she could contact if they were ever shorthanded with personnel. She also got the layout of all the floors.

They walked into the clinic and Sakura got to work. She gave the nurses the patient charts while she was prepping for the exams. For privacy and confidentiality, Sasuke was going to have to wait outside the patient's room.

"_What was the point of him following me now? He can't even "observe" me. Whatever"_ She thought.

The nurse that called the patient in came over to Sakura.

"Dr. Haruno, the patient is in the room waiting for you. Also, Mr. Uchiha insisted that I be there with you and relay the exam to him as part of your evaluation," She said.

"That's fine. Let's get started shall we?" said Sakura as she and the nurse went into the exam room. The first thing that Sakura noticed when she walked into the room was that the girl looked pissed. She had long brown hair that was tied up and blue eyes. Her legs were propped up on the stir-ups with a sheet over them. She seemed no more than twenty and really annoyed. Her breathing was a little irregular. "_Oh boy…first day, first patient and already I can tell she's going to be a handful."_ She thought.

"Hello there…Meiko," she said while looking over her chart again. "I'm Dr. Haruno, what seems to be the problem with you today?" she asked as she stood next to the girl. Meiko on the other hand just rolled her eyes at Sakura.

"First of all, I think you already know why I'm here because it says so on the damn chart. My legs are propped up and an ultrasound machine is right next to me. I had a positive pregnancy test and my stomach hurts, I want to know if I'm pregnant, that's my damn problem!" Meiko shouted.

Sakura wasn't affected though. She's handled tougher patients that this before. One time a patient tried to slice her hand off with a blade that they kept hidden in their shirt. That was one close call but anyway, getting back to the issue at hand. Sakura noticed that Meiko was getting paler by the second and her breathing became increasingly irregular slowly but surely.

"What's her blood pressure?" asked Sakura. The nurse flipped through the chart and looked. "It's 140 over 90 Dr. Haruno" said the nurse. That was pretty high for someone so young.

"Let's do the ultrasound," Sakura suggested as she placed a glove on her hand and took the probe off the machine.

She lifted the sheet and stuck the probe into Meiko, who squirmed a bit. Then Sakura turned her attention to the screen and didn't like what she saw. The uterus was empty, but the pregnancy test came out positive. Judging by Meiko's blood pressure, abdominal pain, and ragged breathing, Sakura rotated the probe a bit and found the problem. "_Oh boy" _thought Sakura depressingly.

"Hmmm… I found the problem. You have what we call an Ectopic pregnancy, which means you are indeed pregnant, but the baby is growing in your fallopian tubes, instead of the uterus. This is a very dangerous condition and you're going to need surgery. But I'm sorry to tell you that the baby won't make it," she said as she removed the probe from Meiko.

Meiko's expression was hard to read. Her face was contorted but that could have been from the pain or maybe it was the emotional blow of knowing that she's going lose the baby. She was breathing pretty hard by now and she was a pale as ghost. Sakura turned to the nurse that was with her.

"Prep an OR (Operating Room) stat! Her left tube looks ready to burst any second and we don't' want that happening. She won't survive the blood loss." said Sakura as the nurse paged the OR. The nurse also called for transportation.

While all this was happening, Sasuke was waiting out in the hallway of the clinic. "_Maybe I should have come with her when she was doing rounds?"_ he thought. There was no point in him being here if he wasn't allowed to observe her during GYN exams. It had been a little over twenty minutes when the door leading into the rooms was burst open and Sakura rushed out with a patient on the bed. There were two other nurses surrounding the patient attaching IV tubes and checking for blood pressure. The patient on the other hand was hyperventilating and thrashing around making it harder for the nurses to contain her. Sakura conversely remained calm but acted with urgency.

"Dr. Haruno!" said Sasuke; he had to shout out her name in public, it was just the protocol that he was mentioning to her one their walk to the clinic. Although they could be on friendly terms in private, in the hospital they were to address each other in with the proper titles. "What's going on here? Why's a clinic patient being prepped?" he asked while speed walking in step with Sakura.

"The patient needs immediate surgery; we don't have time to wait around. She has to be admitted," She said while not even glancing at him.

"I assume you'll be scrubbing in to join the surgery?" he asked.

"Of course I will. She's my first patient here and I'll see to it that she's taken care of…" she trailed of. She didn't have time to talk right now. She spent the rest of the time going to the basement level where the OR was located. She vaguely recalled Sasuke saying that he would be watching her from the observation deck.

After Meiko was transported to the OR, Sakura went and got prepped. She tied her hair back in a ponytail and placed a cap over her head. Then she scrubbed her hands and had a nurse put her scrub coat on. After she was gloved and got her goggles, she went into the room where Meiko was laying down, barely conscious. The anesthesia was starting to kick in.

Sakura walked over to Meiko and stood next to her. Meiko turned her head to look up at Sakura. She never really mentioned how she felt about finding out that she was pregnant. From her first impression, Sakura thought that Meiko was upset at having a baby and maybe would have wanted an abortion had the case been different. But as Sakura looked into Meiko's eyes she saw there was something else there; a small emotion that could only be described as regret.

"It'll be okay Meiko, don't worry about it." She said. Soon after, Meiko's eyes closed completely and one of the nurses stated that she was sedated and ready to go.

From up above in the observation deck, Sasuke could get a clear view of the entire hubbub going on. He saw Sakura stand next to the patient and talk to her before she went under. He looked around the room that was slowly starting to fill up with various people, mostly interns, who were informed on the surgery and were eager to watch the apprentice of the infamous Dr. Tsunade at work.

Sasuke was also surprised to see Tenten walk into the room. She spotted him and walked right over to him. She was wearing a normal pair of dark blue scrubs and her Dr.'s coat.

"Hey Sasuke! What are you doing here? Watching our little flower up close?" she asked with mock playfulness while pointing her head towards the operation. Sasuke looked up at the ceiling while sighing.

"I'm here to observe her methods. I want to know exactly who I invested our time and money into," He said while watching the surgery about take place. "By the way, what's the case?" he asked.

"Twenty-year-old female with an extra uterine pregnancy," she answered. "They're going in for a removal of the embryo and partial or complete removal of the tube itself…." she sighed. "That's got to be the worst though, losing a baby when you find out your having one. I think I would freak if that happened to me," she said while looking over the procedure sadly.

"It's not like you're pregnant," he muttered. He looked over at her when she didn't say anything. She was looking at Sakura who was busy navigating her way through the patient's abdomen. "_I can't ever imagine going through that_," She thought.

Sasuke watched her and waited a beat before saying "You're pregnant aren't you?" Tenten looked up at him and an apprehensive expression was on her face. She had wanted to keep that a secret for a while, at least until she told Neji, but damn, Sasuke had to ask.

"…. Well…yeah but you can't tell anyone, at least not yet." She said. Sasuke shrugged.

"Hn," he responded. His face soon grew a smirk. "Hyuga doesn't know does he?" he said mischievously. Tenten refused to meet his eyes.

"I haven't' told him but somehow I think that he already knows. Damn him and his superior observation skills! I swear it's like he can see through everything. There are no secrets from Neji. He's mocking me I tell you." She said while slumping down on one of the chairs. "It's like he's just waiting for me to spill the beans. Just once, I'd like to surprise him, but nooooo, he just has to know everything before everyone. Isn't it a rite of passage that a woman gets to tell her husband that she's carrying his child?" she said in an exasperated voice.

She looked up at Sasuke who was just looking at her with an uninterested face.

"…You don't care do you?" she asked. Sasuke tilted his head up and looked over at the surgery.

"No…" he deadpanned. "But if you want to vent so badly, why don't you talk to Hinata or even Sakura. You two are friends aren't you?" he asked.

"Obviously Sakura's a little busy now and well, Hinata already knows, I swear it's like the observation thing runs in their family or something," She said.

"Hn," he said, his tone clearly showing his limit with the topic. "Just talk to Sakura. I assume you don't have a scheduled surgery today?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No but I'm on call for the ER. I guess I will talk to her at lunch. Besides, she and I have a year's worth of catching up to do. As a dedicated godmother, I have to be updated on my godchild's life,"

At the mention of Sakura's child, Sasuke was reminded of Suki's earlier inquiry about the relationship to the boy. He figured now was as good a time as any to get to the bottom of that.

"You do know that Suki and Sakura's son go to the same school don't you? They're even in the same class," He started.

"Really? I knew that he went to same school but I didn't know he was in Suki's class too. What a coincidence! Why? Did Suki and Sora become friends?" she asked.

"I guess their friends…they discovered that they both have you and Neji in common," he replied.

"Right. How did I manage to miss that? Oh well. That's just a unique twist of fate as Neji would so eloquently say it. Does Sakura know about this?" asked Tenten.

Sasuke starred down at the operation and watched Sakura give orders to the surrounding nurses. "I'm not sure. She didn't mention anything about it so I can't really say, but I'll be sure to find out when she's done," he answered.

Sakura was nearly done with the procedure. Meiko's vitals were all good and the procedure was going with ease. Sakura carefully cut away at the fallopian tube until she could see exactly where the obstruction was. When she found it, she clamped each side with scissor like instruments and carefully cut it away. Then she removed the rest of the tube.

Sakura felt very heavy after she placed the tube containing the baby in the pan. There was nothing anyone could do about an ectopic pregnancy; it was virtually guaranteed that the baby would not survive the experience. But still, it was a life gone to waste before it even had the chance to live and to Sakura, that was a devastating thing.

After she removed the tube, she stepped back and allowed the rest of the surgical team to close Meiko up and place the stitches on her. Sakura still had patients to see today and could not spend all her time in the OR. She would check up on Meiko before she left today. She went back in the prep room and discarded her bloodied gloves and scrub uniform. She went out into the hall where she was greeted by Tenten and Sasuke. Sakura kind of forgot he was watching the whole time; she was too absorbed in the procedure.

"Nice one Sakura! You were done in thirty minutes flat. As expected from the Prodigy of Tsunade," she said while she slung her arm around Sakura's shoulders. "So Sasuke, what do you think of her now? A wise investment right?" she said.

Sakura couldn't resist laughing a little. Tenten was one of the best friends a girl could ask for. She was always sticking up for her and supporting her. Sakura noticed that there was something different about Tenten today though…and she had a feeling that she knew what it was.

"Nice work," he commented. "How many cases like that have you experienced before?" he asked. Sakura merely shrugged.

"A few," she answered. "This was a fairly simple case compared to the others. We found the problem before the tube burst so…NEJI?" she shouted.

The others turned around and saw Neji Hyuga walk out of the OR room next door. He looked surprised to see everyone standing there.

"Hello Sakura," he said while walking towards them. "Your first day and already you're in the OR?" he asked as he gave her a hug and a small kiss on top of her head.

"I know right?" she said jokingly. Neji smiled…a little. He was the same height as Sasuke but he had long dark brown hair that was tied down in the back and very pale eyes like Hinata. He was wearing the same dark blue scrubs that Tenten was wearing.

"So you just got out of a surgery I assume?" asked Sakura. "May I inquire as to what the case was?" she asked as the four of them walked out towards the elevator.

"Twenty Eight-year-old male was shot in the head by an apparent jealous girlfriend. The bullet went in but not too deep. It must have been a long-range shot. I've been in there trying to save his brain for the past eight hours," he explained.

"So what's the conclusion?" asked Tenten as she leaned on the wall of the elevator across from him.

"We can expect some speech impairment and some partial memory loss but other than that, he should make a full recovery," He answered as he turned to his wife. His eyes traveled down to her stomach for a split second before returning to her eyes.

"_Damn you, you hot sexy bastard"_ thought Tenten. "_Just let me surprise you for once in your life," _She screamed in her head. Just then, her pager went off. It was the ER.

"Well, duty calls." She said as the elevator came to a stop on the first floor. They all stepped out and Tenten immediately headed for the ER. Neji said that he had to fill out some post-op reports for the surgery he just finished and left for his office on the 12th floor.

"So what's next for you today?" asked Sasuke. For the most part, his whole morning was spent doing much of nothing but watching and waiting.

"Well, I have to check up on the remaining OB patients in the clinic and then I have one pediatric patient to catch up on. Shall we?" she asked as she started toward the clinic once again.

"Hn," he replied following her.

_**Later that day… **_

After Sakura was done with her clinic patients, much to Sasuke's relief, he asked Sakura to join him for lunch. Hinata had called earlier and said the she wouldn't be able to join Sakura today but maybe tomorrow.

They got their lunches from the cafeteria, Chicken soup for Sakura and Tomato soup for Sasuke. They went outside the cafeteria and settled at one of the tables under an umbrella. Sasuke took the time to relish the outdoors, as he usually took his meals in his office. He rarely left his office nowadays.

"There was something that I was meaning to discuss with you today," he began.

"What is it?" she asked while opening her iced tea.

"My daughter Suki told me that she met your son yesterday at school," he said.

Sakura's face brightened. "Oh yeah, I remember Sora telling me he made a few friends at school. I didn't know that your daughter was one of them though. He didn't really elaborate much on names. My poor baby, he came home and after an hour he fell asleep so I didn't get much detail," she said.

"Yes well, what I wanted to tell you was that Neji and Tenten are considered my daughters aunt and uncle as well. I guess the kids kind of found that connection themselves," he said.

"You must be right. So my son and your daughter have a special connection to each other. The world really is a small place then huh?" she said. That reminded him of Ino.

"And getting smaller. My daughter had two other friends by the names of Akio and Akira Nara. Their mother is Ino Yamanaka Nara who says that you two are friends" he said. He resisted the urge to smirk at Sakura's stunned face.

"Ino PIG?" she shouted. Sasuke smirked then. He found it amusing that Sakura would call Ino, a ballet dancer, a pig. Must be and interesting relationship.

"Ino is a ballet dance instructor," he informed. "She has her own studio. Her husband is a good friend of mine who works in research named Shikamaru Nara. My daughter takes classes with Ino and her daughter Akira. I found out that she was friend of yours when I went to pick up Suki yesterday,"

"Whoa, I should call her. I haven't spoken to her since college. This is so weird isn't it?" she asked with a smile. "I mean: Neji and Tenten, Naruto and Hinata, Ino and Shikamaru, even you, me and our kids are all connected in some weird way. That's got to be some kind of twist of fate. I'm a little overwhelmed by all of this," she admitted.

"Suki even asked if Sora was her cousin," He said with a chuckle.

"Awww how precious," she said. "Well, even if it's not biological, it is true that since Suki and Sora share and aunt and uncle, they would think that they're related. I think it's really sweet actually. Sora could use more family anyway," she quietly added.

"What do you mean?" asked Sasuke. Sakura looked thoughtful for a minute. Talking about her personal history with her boss was a bit on the awkward side, but she already knew that Sasuke was a widower. It was only fair to share her side.

"It's just me and Sora," she began. "My father lives in Kyoto and I'm an only child so Sora doesn't have any biological aunts, uncles or cousins. I feel like I'm holding out on him by not giving him a family to be surrounded by," She said.

"What about his father, if you don't mind me asking," As soon as Sasuke said it, he wished that he didn't. The look on Sakura's face changed and she quickly looked at anything but him. Her face became blank.

"…Sora…doesn't really remember much about his father," She said slowly. "My husband, Sai, died three years ago. Sora was barely two years old. So it's only natural that he wouldn't remember anything about his father," She said all the while still avoiding his gaze.

Sasuke could only stare at her face. "_So that explains the lack of a wedding ring," _he thought.

Her gaze remained away from him. A small breeze picked up and blew in her direction.

Sasuke studied her again. Her moderate length pink hair, which oddly enough suited her very well, was tied in the back with a hair tie while the layers in the front framed her face perfectly. Her face held soft yet definitive features that held the gentleness of a mother and the steadiness of a doctor. Her eyes were downcast but he noticed that whenever she was speaking of her son, they would light up and add certain warmth to her personality. Those pure green eyes were so reminiscent of his one and only daughter.

"…I shouldn't have asked," he said. She finally looked up at him and placed a small smile on her face.

"No…it's alright. After all, I'm sure you know what it's like, being a single father yourself," she said.

"_Not quite"_ he thought. "I suppose so. I understand where you're coming from though. However, Suki has her grandparents and my older brother Itachi. They have surrounded her since day one. So she's not really alone but …I know she wants a mother," he said, surprised at how much he was opening up to the new doctor.

It may have been the memory of Suki crying her heart out that was burned into his mind. He would die before he let her feel that way again. But there was a certain sense of empathy with Sakura that no one else had. She knew what it was like.

"I know where she's coming from," said Sakura, pulling him out of his thoughts. "People think that when you grow up without a mother, it's easier because you don't know whom you're missing…but that's far from the truth. I never knew my mom, but I still miss her. I always felt that she was missing. It's not easier to not know someone, it's harder,"

"Hn," he replied. "I guess you never really know unless you've been through it. No one knows how hard it is to see your child suffer without a parent,"

Sakura looked at him. "No one really does …. except people like us," She said slowly.

"Yeah…. people like us," he said looking into her eyes. There was just something so intriguing about those eyes. It was strange because Aya had the same eyes and they didn't affect him like this. It just seemed like green eyes suited Sakura more.

Sakura looked away from him. She tried not to let the similarities bother her but she couldn't help it. Sasuke just looked so much like Sai. There were some obvious differences but it was just one of those double take situations; you would always need to look harder to see the differences. Not only that, there was Sora. If he were to stand next to Sasuke you would automatically assume that they were father and son. It was a very uncanny triangle to deal with.

Sai had short dark hair capping his head, while Sasuke's stood up like poultry. Sora was somewhere closer to Sasuke in style. But there was something else that was clearly unmistakable. Sora and Sasuke's eyes…were the same dark black color…just like Sai. Fate must really enjoy toying with Sakura's emotions. But even though the outside was the same, Sakura knew that they were both different people. She could tell that from the very first conversation she had with him.

Sai had a very strange way of getting to know someone. He would always insult Sakura by calling her things like "Hag" and "Ugly". It was strange but that was just his way of expressing his love and he was a wonderful man but you can only imagine how hard it was for him to land a date with her at first. But Sasuke was so different. He was very polite and formal. He obviously held a presence that demanded respect but he also gave respect at the same time. And he obviously loved his daughter beyond all comparison.

There was an awkward silence as Sasuke and Sakura realized that they were both starring at each other for a little too long. They both looked away; Sakura absentmindedly stirred the remainder of her soup while Sasuke looked up at his watch.

"Well, your evaluation is done for the most part. I've got to get back up to my office and get some paper work done. You did well today, Sakura." he said while standing up.

"Thanks…does this mean that I've impressed you?" she asked mischievously. He in turn, smirked at her.

"I thought impressing me was the least of your worries, Dr. Haruno." he said. She raised her eyebrows at him while smirking at the same time. His smirk was somewhat contagious.

"It's not important to me Mr. Uchiha. I just assumed that you were difficult to impress judging on how Naruto so eloquently described you yesterday," She said. She laughed when she heard him mutter something about a "dobe".

"Yeah well, it does take something good to make me a satisfied CEO. KMC isn't the best hospital in Japan for nothing. We only take the best and I expect nothing but the best," he said.

"And you've got nothing but the best, so I assume it'll take something worthy of the medical books to get your appreciation Mr. Uchiha?" she asked, smiling.

"I suppose it would…Dr. Haruno." He said while looking into those green eyes again. Somewhere along the lines they both failed to realize that they've dropped the informalities and have begun a little flirtation session with the whole formal titles thing going on.

"Anyway," he started. "Come by my office before you leave today. There are some papers you need to sign regarding the evaluation today." he said. She stood up and picked up her tray.

"Okay…and oh as far as Ino is concerned, could you tell me where her studio is located? I'd like to drop by and at least say hello after all these years," she said.

"Sure. I've got her card with the address on it somewhere. I keep it for Suki's sake. Just pick it up when you come by later. The class ends at 5pm. What time do you pick up your son?" he asked.

"Sora's enrolled in a Karate club at the academy. I have to pick him up by 4:30." She said.

"That should be enough time," he said. Sakura's pager went off right then and there. She took it off her shirt and checked it over.

"The patient form this morning is awake. I've got to go now. I'll see you later today Sasuke," She said as she walked towards the building. Sasuke watched her leave. She was different from other women. Granted she was the only woman he was associated with that was a single mom. But there was just something about her. Whatever it was, he was intrigued.

Sasuke picked up his tray and dumped it into the trash bin by the entrance. He then walked into the building and into the elevator. While he waited for the doors to open, he saw the ER burst open to reveal a woman in labor with her husband holding her hand in a wheel chair. They were wheeled away but not before Sasuke could see the smile that was one the woman's face as she looked over at her husband. He was also smiling but worried at the same time. "_Is that how it would have been if I had loved Aya?"_ he thought. The elevator doors opened and he stepped in. There was a mountain of paper work on his desk that needed his attention.

**...**

Sakura made her way to the 5th floor to check on Meiko. It had been five hours since her surgery and the anesthetics had worn off. She grabbed Meiko's chart from the nursing station and left to find her room.

When she got there, Sakura stood in the doorway and saw Meiko sitting up in bed starring out the window.

"Hello Meiko. How are you feeling?" she asked as she came up next to her bed. Meiko didn't turn around to look at her but responded anyway.

"How do I feel?" she asked dejectedly. "I feel no pain…but I know I should." She said while turning to face Sakura. "I was pregnant. I was pregnant and all the while, I wanted to get rid of the baby. I'm not ready for it yet and it was a stupid mistake…I should be glad it's gone. I should…so…" she started to cry, tears streamed down her face. "…Why do I feel so much regret?" she asked while wiping her tears away.

Sakura looked at the crying girl with sympathetic eyes. Her assumptions about Meiko wanting an abortion were correct but somehow, Sakura knew that if she found out she was pregnant then Meiko would have probably wanted to keep the baby. She wasn't a bad girl, she was just scarred. Unfortunately for her, she wouldn't have been able to keep the baby anyway.

"Meiko," said Sakura as she took a hold of her hand. "You couldn't help what happened. I know you feel horrible about wanting to get rid of the baby but what's done is done. The baby wouldn't have made it regardless of your feelings. Don't blame yourself,"

Meiko sniffled. "Do you have any kids?" she asked

"Yes I do. I have a five-year-old son. I was your age when I found out I was pregnant with him. When I suspected it, I was scarred...just like you were. I was still in school and only married for a few months. I thought a baby might ruin all my plans and complicate my marriage. But the second I knew for sure, my feelings completely changed. I fell in love with my child from the second I knew about him and he only made my life better,"

"Yeah…you did that right thing…but look at me…I wanted to kill my baby. How can I not blame myself? I'm completely evil," She said while busting out in a new wave of tears.

"Meiko, you're not a bad person, and this was a horrible ordeal that you've had to go through. But take this experience and learn from it. You may regret your feeling towards the baby, but that baby was just not meant to be for you right now. But now you'll know that if it happens again, you'll be ready," Sakura said.

She could understand her pain. When you're a mother, there is nothing worse than knowing that you cannot protect your child. In Meiko's case, it was inevitable. Sakura told Meiko to rest up a bit and that she would check up on her again tomorrow. Right now, she had other patients to see.

The rest of the day passed on without any more major problems to worry about. Sakura had just finished checking up on her last patient before returning to her office on the 8th floor. She had to remain on the same level as that maternity ward in case she was ever needed for an immediate delivery.

She got all her things and went to the elevators. She still had to sign those papers for her evaluation and get the directions to Ino's studio. The elevator was stopped several times before she actually made it to the 15th floor. "_I should have brought a snack or something for the ride"_ she thought. She was relieved when the doors finally opened to reveal the same bluish-lighted floor that held Sasuke's office. The receptionist wasn't there so she opted to just knock on his door.

Sasuke was still nowhere near done with his paperwork for the day. Being with Sakura for half the day really took its toll. He was completely behind with almost everything. There was no way he could finish this all here and pick up Suki too. He mentally cursed, knowing he would have to take his work home with him.

Just then, he heard knocking on his door. His secretary had already left a while ago.

Sasuke walked over to the doors and opened them to reveal Sakura standing there. She looked up at him when he opened the door and cracked a small smile. He seemed surprised to see her.

"You wanted me to sign those evaluation papers before I left," she reminded.

"…Oh…right, yeah come in." he said while he opened the door all the way and let her in. He had completely forgotten about her coming by later and thus left his office a mess with papers stationed everywhere on his desk and various book from his library scattered and opened at random pages.

Sasuke walked back to his desk and began to rummage through the pile of papers. He found her file containing the evaluation papers and handed them to her to read.

Sakura took the papers and sat down in one of the armchairs. "I see you're busy with paper work." She said. She noticed that he looked a little stressed and tired. He had his blazer off which left him in his white office shirt that was tucked into his black slacks and held together with a belt. His tied was also loosely hanging around his neck.

"You have no idea," he said unenthusiastically. "The hospital has had more business than usual in these past months which mean ample work for me to do. Spending half the day with you and your evaluation kind of backed me up a bit." He said while taking a seat in his chair.

"…A bit?" she asked. "More like a lot, look at your desk, it's covered." She said while signing the forms. "I can't even see your picture frames anymore." It was true; he had that much stuff to do.

"Yeah well, I'll be taking most of it home with me. It has to get done somehow. Not to mention I have my daughter to pick up," he said.

"Oh yeah, I also need to know how to get to Ino's studio," she remembered. Sora would be getting out of Karate in about fifteen minutes. She decided to take him along with her since he was friends with Ino's kids as well.

"Here's her card," he said while handing her a white business card with Yamanaka Dance Studio written on the top. "It's actually no more than fifteen minutes away from here. Just go down the street and make a left at the shopping district. It's right next to a Chinese restaurant," said Sasuke. Sakura watching him rub his temples and sigh.

"Okay. Thank you but…are you okay Sasuke? You seem a little tense." She said while looking him over. It was a little distressing to see him look so tired, since he was just so keen on being involved with her rounds this morning. Being the CEO must be more demanding than a doctor. At least doctors didn't' have to worry about the little things that keep the hospital going. Sakura found that she didn't like seeing him like this. Then again she wouldn't want to see anybody like that.

"Hmmm…yeah I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about, just the everyday stuff," he said while running his hand through his hair.

"Okay, well as a doctor, I'm going to tell you that you should find a way to decrease this work load. Too much stress can really do number on your overall health. And we can't have you passing out on us now can we?" she asked.

"I don't really have the time to even consider my overall health, Sakura. It's the price I pay being in the position that I'm in," said Sasuke.

"Well, you should still get your blood pressure checked out. You're young Sasuke, don't push it. When was your last physical exam?" she asked in a somewhat commanding tone. This made Sasuke look up at her. Who does this woman think she is? She's not his doctor…but nonetheless, he answered her.

"Over a year ago, but it's not necessary. This is the usual paper work load; I'm just a little behind. It's nothing to worry about Sakura," he said

"Never tell a doctor that it's nothing to worry about. That's up to me to decide," she said. "I'm going to tell your secretary to schedule a physical for you. If I'm not mistaken," she said to cut Sasuke off from protesting, "Hospital rules state that every employee be given a physical examination once a year to be updated in the registry and that includes you does it not Sasuke?" she asked. He gave her a displeased look and didn't answer, because he would have to agree with her.

"From what you just told me," she continued. "You're away overdue. You can't disregard your own rules can you?" she asked with a small smirk. It only grew when she saw his face change emotions from questioning, comprehensive, annoyed and then settling on defeat.

Sasuke looked at her inquisitive eyes. This woman was really something. No one ever commanded the Uchiha like that before. She left no room for argument and even cornered him with one of his own hospital policies. "_Interesting" _he thought.

"Well then…Dr. Haruno, why don't you do the physical yourself…since you seem to be so keen on having me examined," he challenged

"Are you testing me Mr. Uchiha?" she said an equally challenging voice. Sakura just loved a good challenge.

"I just want to see what else you're made of. If there's something wrong with my stress, then I'll commend you as a doctor for noticing and you can claim that you've officially impressed me," He said. Just talking to her made him feel slightly relieved in a sense.

"Well, like I said before, impressing you is just a bonus. Saving you from an early heart attack is the real prize here," she said while standing up. "I'll have the nursing department schedule an appointment for you. As for right now, why don't you just pack up and go home. Anyway, don't you have to pick up your daughter soon? Just take off early and relax a bit,"

"I'll consider it. But don't you have to pick up your son?" he asked. Now it was his turn to smirk when he saw her eyes widen and then look at the clock. It was 4:20. She only had ten minutes to get to the school and just getting to the bottom floor would take too much time as it is. Sasuke thought it was highly amusing to see her so flustered. It somehow made her look…cuter. (Insert the sound of a record scratching) Cuter? Where did that come from?

"Touché Mr. Uchiha," she huffed. "You may have won for now, but I'll be back and I will prove to you that you need to relax," She said while taking her leave.

"I look forward to that…Sakura." He said quietly as he watched her leave.

After Sakura picked up Sora from his karate club, she went down the street and took all of Sasuke's directions to get to the studio. On the way, she listened to Sora relay the events of his first day at a club.

"…and then Lee sensei told me that I was really youthful and that I could easily break the board if I trained hard enough," Said Sora spiritedly. Sakura smiled at him. He was wearing his little white karate uniform with the academy leaf symbol printed on it. He had obtained a white belt that was given to the all the students upon entering. Sakura thought he was the cutest thing ever.

Of course being Sora, he couldn't come back from karate without a few boo boo's. He had cut his little index finger from trying to break the board with his hand. This is why Sakura was hesitant about Sora joining Karate. Sora plus Karate equals more first aid kits.

"Mommy where are we going?" Sora asked. "I thought we were going home," He had noticed that they were going in the opposite direction from their house.

"Well sweetie, Mommy has a friend that lives around here and I just want to visit her for a bit. I think you might be surprised. It's Akio and Akira's mommy," she answered.

"What? Their mom is your friend? How weeeeird!" he said while exaggerating the "weird". Sakura couldn't help but laugh.

Sakura parked in the area behind the school and she and Sora stepped out. They made their way towards the front of the school where she could hear music from the inside. She remembered it from her days in ballet; it was the ever-classic swan lake.

She and Sora stepped into the studio. Sakura was met with the sight of large dance room with one of the walls being made up entirely of mirror with a bar on it. In the center of the dance floor were several little girls in white uniforms that were practicing how to twirl. The person leading them was unmistakably Ino. She currently had her back turned to the entrance so she didn't know that she had company.

"Okay girls, that's enough for today," said Ino. "You can all start packing up a bit it's almost time for your parents to come get you," None of the girls moved. As a matter of fact they all seemed to be staring at something…or rather a certain woman with pink hair and a really cute boy in a Karate uniform.

Ino turned around and almost had a heart attack.

"FORHEAD GIRL?" shouted Ino

"INO-PIG!" shouted Sakura. They immediately went over to each other and hugged like there was no tomorrow.

All the kids sweat dropped. "_Grown-ups are so weird"_ thought Sora.

"Oh my gosh I can't believe your hear Sakura," Ino squealed as she finally let go of her.

"I know and I can't believe it's you. Wow it's been so long, like what six or seven years?" Sakura asked.

"I know it's been forever, but look at you little Miss Doctor. I guess that giant forehead had a brain behind it after all," Ino teased. The truth was Sakura's forehead was never that big, but Ino would always tease her about it when they were in grade school because Sakura always got "A"s on everything.

"Yeah and I guess miss piggy became a dancer just like she always wanted," Sakura playfully shot back. The two of them laughed and hugged each other again.

Sora, who was feeling a little forgotten and uncomfortable with all those girls staring at him, walked over to the bars where Akio was sloughing against the wall with the mirrors.

"Hey Akio," Said Sora.

"Hey Sora, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"My mom wanted to come. I think my mom and your mom are friends," He said while indicated in their direction with his head.

"Really?" said Akio as he looked over in their direction. He saw a woman with pink hair and dressed like a doctor standing and talking to his mom like they were best friends. The he saw that the said woman turned her attention to their direction.

"Sora!" she shouted. "Come over here" she said.

"Akio and Akira, you guys too." said Ino. The three children walked over to their mothers.

"Ino this is my son Sora," said Sakura as she put one hand on his shoulder and the other on Sora's head as stood right in front of his mother and looking up.

"Hello Sora. I guess I'm your Aunt Ino," Said Ino as she ruffled his hair a bit.

"Hi...Aunt Ino," he greeted.

"And these two," said Ino while bringing both Akio and Akira in front of her, "Are my twins, Akio and Akira. Say hi to your Aunt Sakura," she said.

"Hi Aunty Sakura" said Akira with enthusiasm. She shoved Akio with her arm when he didn't say anything back.

"…Ow…oh…Hi Aunt Sakura," he said with his hands in his pockets.

"Hi you guys. Wow Ino, twins. Go figure. And Akira looks just like you," said Sakura. "I'm guessing Akio takes after his father then?" she said.

"In more ways than one I can tell you that," Ino replied while rolling her eyes. They both chuckled a bit.

"So this is your class then?" asked Sakura as the she took a look around. The rest of the class was still looking over at their direction, too fascinated by the pink haired doctor lady and her really cute son. Some of the girls were whispering excitedly while pointing at Sora. "_Oh boy, Sora has a fan club and at only five years old? My baby's growing up!"_ she thought as she cried anime tears in her head. Just then one little girl in particular caught her eye.

She was staring at them along with the rest of the class. She had short black hair that went just above her shoulders and the green eyes just like Sakura. "_That must be Sasuke's daughter,"_ she thought.

Just then, the door burst open and a bunch of woman came into the studio to pick up their daughters. Ino excused herself and went to go over see the students and parents. Akio, Akira and Sora all walked over to the little girl and the four of them began to talk to each other. Sakura walked over to them.

She knelt by the little girl. "Hello there. You must be Sasuke's little girl right?" she asked.

"Yep. I'm Suki." She said. "You know my daddy?" she asked.

"Yes I do. I go to work with him. I'm Sora's mommy," She said.

Suki starred at the woman before her. _"She's so pretty."_ thought Suki.

"I like your hair," Said Suki. She was a total girly girl. Pink was her favorite color, so Sakura having pink hair was labeled as the coolest thing ever in Suki's book.

Sakura smiled at her. "Well thank you Suki. I like your hair too. It's just like your daddy's hair. But you know what?" she asked

"What?" asked Suki with a smile.

"I think you and me have the same color Eyes," she said. She watched as the girl's eyes lit up.

"Oh yeah…. your eyes are the same color eyes as mine. That's really cool," Suki exclaimed.

"Yeah I think it is cool too," said a voice form behind them. They both turned to find Sasuke standing there with his coat slung over his shoulders. He looked a little better than the last time Sakura saw him.

"DADDY!" shouted Suki as she ran up to him and hugged his legs. "Daddy daddy daddy guess what!" She said.

"What?" asked Sasuke while picking her up.

"Sora's mommy is here and we have the same eyes," She said excitedly. Sasuke smirked and looked over at Sakura who stood up.

"I can see that Suki," He said as he let her down. "So I guess you found this place ok then right?" he asked.

"Yeah, you were right, it's pretty close by. It was great seeing Ino again. And I think bringing my son here gave him a fan club," She said while laughing.

"Your son…" he said while scanning the room. Sure enough there was a boy with spiky black hair wearing a Karate uniform talking to Akio and Akira. His back was turned to Sasuke so he couldn't get a good look at his face.

"Oh yeah…"said Sakura." Sora…could you come here sweet heart?" Sora turned around. He saw his mommy talking with a tall man that looked like the man from this morning but different. He was wearing a black suit and had spiky black hair that stood up in the back. Suki was standing right next to him. For some reason, Sora really didn't want his mommy to be talking to this guy. He went over to them.

"Sasuke, this is my son Sora." Said Sakura as Sora stood in front of his mother and kinds starred at the man before him in a somewhat hard manner.

"Sora, this is Suki's daddy, Sasuke," She said. There was a moment of silence as neither Sasuke nor Sora said anything. Sasuke looked down at the boy before him. He was a little taller than Suki and had the same black hair that both he and Suki had. But he had really dark eyes that made him a little print of Sasuke. If Sora and Suki stood next to each other, you would think that they were brother and sister.

"Hi Sora." Said Sasuke. "_So this is her kid" _thought Sasuke.

"…Hi…Mr. Uchiha." Said Sora. That response surprised him a bit. It seemed like the kid didn't like him for whatever reason. As a matter of fact, he was giving of an aura that was kind of saying, stay away from my mom and me. He stood right in front of Sakura in his little karate uniform and looked ready to kick someone of need be. It was like he was trying to intimidate Sasuke. The way he greeted him was full of extreme dislike.

When Sakura said his name, it was full of sarcasm and slight playfulness. When Sora said it, it was a warning.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**My hand fell off. This is my largest chapter yet and that's why it took so long to update. Friggin 10,304 words. Thanks for being so patient with me. I love reviews.**


	7. Dinner and Afterthoughts

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 7: Dinner and Afterthoughts.**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

The atmosphere became somewhat tense…at least that was the case between Sasuke and Sora. Sasuke could tell, just by Sora's stance, that the boy was very protective of his mother. It was clear that he didn't want Sasuke anywhere near her.

Sora felt like he had to keep up a starring contest with Suki's dad. Granted his neck was starting to hurt from looking up at Sasuke. "_This guy's huge"_ thought Sora. Then again when you're looking up at someone almost three times your height, it's guaranteed to happen sometime.

Suki, being the blissfully unaware child that she is, didn't notice the mini glare fest, but rather opted to focus her attention on Sora's pretty mommy. Sakura on the other hand, took notice of Sora's tone of voice immediately. "_That cannot be good." _She thought.

The student's in Ino's Studio had all pretty much left by now. The only people left in there were Ino, the twins, Sasuke, Sakura, Sora, and Suki.

"So… Sasuke, Suki really does look so much like you. She's beautiful," said Sakura, one because it was the truth and two, she needed to get everyone's attention on something else. Sakura smiled at the little girl who clung on to her father's pant leg while standing behind him somewhat. She was absolutely precious.

Suki giggled at the compliment. Sasuke tore his gaze away from Sora and smiled down at his daughter.

"Yeah…she gets that all the time, don't you Suki?" he said while bringing her to stand in front of him. She was still wearing her little white ballet uniform which resulted in some glitter smearing off onto Sasuke's pants.

"Uh huh, but my eyes aren't like my daddy, there like yours" she said while pointing to Sakura. Sakura and Sakura both laughed a little at her cute antics. Sora on the other hand was just standing there, still giving Sasuke a hard stare.

Ino and the twins came over to join in the conversation.

"So what's going on over here? Everyone getting acquainted…and…whoa…" said Ino while standing back a little and taking a really good look at the four of them. Sasuke was standing on one side with Suki in front of him while Sakura was standing on the other side with Sora right in front of her…freeze frame this image and what do you see; Sasuke and a boy that could be his mini-me, standing by Sakura with a little girl and identical green eyes. If anyone else saw them, you would think that they were a family.

"What is it Ino? You okay?" said Sakura in a worried voice. Ino just kind of looked a little shocked.

"Oh…nothing I was just…remembering something," she said while still eyeing all of them with interest.

Akio and Akira were looking at them too. Actually Akira was looking at them; Akio was kind of starring out into space.

"So...Sakura, we should really go out tonight and catch up, with the kids of course. I know a place that serves kid friendly food. And Sasuke and Suki, you guys are welcome to come too," Ino added.

"Oh I don't know. I'm still in my scrubs after all. And Sora's in his Karate uniform," Sakura said.

"No problem, I'm going in my ballet attire and the kids will be in their uniforms. The restaurant is really nice but the environment really doesn't call for any kind of formal wear. It's pretty down to earth yet elegant. Shikamaru's good friend Chouji runs the place,"

"Okay then. That sounds great, what do you think about it sweet heart?" Sakura asked as she looked down at Sora…who was still absorbed into starring at Sasuke.

"…Okay" he said. He finally tore his gaze away from Sasuke and turned to his mother.

"Great, what about you guys?" asked Sakura to Sasuke. He seemed a little hesitant, not because of Sora's obvious dislike of him, but rather of going to dinner with two women; one of who was an absolute chatter box and the other, his employee whom he knew not much about. He would feel really out of place.

"Hn …I don't think..." he started. Suki cut him off before he could continue.

"Please daddy, please please please please pretty please with ketchup on top?" she asked as she bounced up and down and grabbing onto his hand. She was giving him the look with the eyes…those undeniable big green eyes that even Itachi fell prey to. "_Must… resist," _he thought, though it was a slowly losing battle.

"Don't worry about it Sasuke," said Ino. "Shikamaru will be there. As a matter of fact, I'm going to call him right now and tell him to get his lazy ass down there and save a table," She said while wiping out her cell phone and walking a bit to talk to her husband.

Sasuke consented after that. At least he won't be the only man there, and this way, he could talk to Shikamaru about those reports he wanted the day before. Suki was ecstatic. She loved going out with her daddy and today she could go out with her friends too.

Ino came back and flipped her phone shut. "Well, he's on his way there now. We should get going soon. If we leave now, we can beat the rush hour," She said. She turned to Akira and Suki. "You girls should get changed. You don't want to ruin your ballerina suits do you?" she said.

Suki and Akira both giggled and ran into the changing room in the back. Sakura and Ino started up a conversation about simple things that Sasuke didn't really care for. Besides that, he noticed that Sora was yet again, giving him a hard stare; he was standing close to his mother, who was absentmindedly stroking his little black head while talking to Ino.

"_What is with this kid? What the hell did I do?"_ thought Sasuke. After a while, he opted to just ignore Sora's glares and look the other way. His attention only perked up when he heard his name being mentioned.

"…Yeah, basically it was just an evaluation and he had to tag along with me for most of the morning, but I think I made a good impression if I do say so myself," Said Sakura as she looked over at him and smirked.

"Did she really make an impression on the ever un-impressible Uchiha Sasuke?" asked Ino with mock surprise.

"…Your mocking me…aren't you?" said Sasuke as monotone as he possible could. Trying to show you don't care when you're the center of a joke is hard work.

"Oh no, I wouldn't be so foolish as to mock the man that needs a stress test and who just so happens to be my boss," Said Sakura while chuckling in between words.

"Hnnnn, just you wait…." said Sasuke. He heard the door in the back open and saw Suki and Akira walk back in their school uniforms.

"Okay, so I guess we could get going. Sakura just follow me from behind. Sasuke you know how to get to the Hidden Leaf right?" Ino asked as they all left to go to their own separate cars.

* * *

**Hidden Leaf Restaurant: **

Sakura and the rest of the group all walked up to the Hidden Leaf restaurant. From the outside, it was very hard to find the restaurant just by looking for it in your car. The only indication there was even a restaurant at all was the sign above it with big green lights that had the name of the place on it. It was almost completely covered in vines and shrubs making it impossible to spot, especially at night. The name 'Hidden Leaf' suited it well.

They walked inside and went up to the hostess who asked what name they were reserved under.

"Nara" said Ino. The hostess nodded and led them to their table. From the inside Sakura was amazed at the build of this place. You would never be able to find a restaurant this warm and cozy anywhere else. It was nicely yet dimly light with high ceilings and amazing artwork from the ninja days. Most of the place was deeply inspired from the Kamakura to the Edo period (Ninja times) including some of the feudal era.

As the group was lead further into the restaurant, they passed by an area made up of glass that displayed a beautiful Japanese garden with an enormous koi pond that was beautiful enough be the object of any art work. It was odd how a restaurant could be historical, artist, romantic, and kid friendly at the same time. The kids seemed to get a kick out of it.

They approached a table where a guy in a lab coat was already seated. He looked like the grown up version of Akio, but his hair was tied into a high ponytail instead of at the base of his neck. He also had the same bored and lazy aura as Akio. His left ear was also pierced with a simple silver earring. He was currently starring out at the Koi pond. He turned his head when he heard the sound of his daughter calling out his name.

"Daddy!" shouted Akira as she ran ahead of her brother and right into her father's arms. Akio just looked annoyed at her actions. Ino went over and sat next to her husband, who turned around and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Akira giggled at her parents.

"Shika, this is my friend Sakura and her son Sora. You know the ones I told you about yesterday," Said Ino. Shikamaru looked over at Sakura and nodded while saying a small hello.

"Shikamaru," Said Sasuke while nodding at him.

"Sasuke" said Shikamaru with the same head motion. "_Must be a guy thing,"_ thought Sakura.

All the tables are round so here was the seating arrangement: Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura, Sasuke, Suki, Sora, Akio and then Akira who was sitting right next to her father. Sora pouted a bit because his mom was sitting next to Sasuke. Somehow it just ended up as the adults on one side and the kids on the other.

A waiter came by and asked for their orders. After flipping through his or her menus for a bit, everyone decided. Ino and Sakura thought it would be easier if the kids just all shared a giant pizza, to which all the kids agreed.

"I want extra extra extra pizza sauce!" said Suki. Sakura chuckled.

"She's adorable Sasuke," Said Sakura as she turned to him. Sasuke looked at her and smirked.

"She's big tomato lover. Anything with tomatoes is her favorite," He said while looking at his daughter. The dim lighting really highlighted Suki's eyes. He turned to look at Sakura who was smiling at the kids. From the side, he could also see that her eyes were highlighted as well from the candles at the center of the table. The only difference was that her eyes weren't big and curious like Suki's. They were…softer…and much more mature; like they had seen everything there was to see and held all the wisdom and knowledge it could. Sasuke just now realized that he could easily read her emotions just by looking at her eyes. Shikamaru talking to him snapped him out of his little daydream.

At the other side of the table, Sora was not having a very happy time. He watched as his mother talked to Sasuke. She was saying something about Suki. After she turned away, he saw Sasuke looking at his mom from the side. He was just looking at her eyes. He kind of smiled a little but Sora didn't know if he really did, it was very small.

Sora really didn't like Sasuke to be around his mom. He didn't know why. It was just from the minute he saw him, he felt strange. Like Sasuke was familiar but different. It confused him and he couldn't understand himself why he didn't want Sasuke around his mom.

Sasuke was Suki's daddy. He liked Suki very much and he didn't want to hurt her. But he just didn't want her _daddy_ to be close to his _mommy_. As a matter of fact, he didn't want any other man near his mommy. He was snapped out of his thoughts when his mom called out to him.

"…Sora? Sweetie are you okay?" asked Sakura as she looked at him with worry in her eyes. He was just staring at the center of the table and not saying anything or moving at all.

"Huh? …I'm fine," He said. He noticed that everyone had his or her eyes on him. He tried to suppress the blush that was forcing its way to his face.

The food came a little after that. The kids all looked excited as the waiter cut one huge slice of pizza for each kid. As requested per Suki, it was dripping with sauce. The rest of the orders came soon after. Pretty soon, everyone was busy eating. Small conversations came and went though out the night. Ino and Sakura mostly did the talking; they had almost seven years of catching up after all. Shikamaru and Sasuke talked a bit about business and things like that. The kids were all chowing down on their pizza, which resulted in messy fingers, faces and heaven forbid sauce stains on Sora's brand new, very white, karate uniform.

Well, one single pizza stain on a white anything is considered messy. Sakura would just have to bleach that out later. At least Sora didn't hurt himsel- *insert silverware cluttering sound followed by a crash*

She thought to soon. Sakura immediately faced Sora's direction but was surprised to see that he was perfectly fine. In all actuality, it was Suki that was hurt. She was holding her left index finger in her hand and her eyes were really watery.

"What's wrong Suki?" asked Sasuke as he took a hold of her finger. It was bleeding. She had obviously cut herself with her dinner knife. The question was; why was she even using her dinner knife? She was eating pizza!

"How did that happen?" asked Sasuke. Suki was blinking back tears. "…I don't…sniff…know." She said. Her little finger was hurting. Sasuke picked her up and slid her into his lap. He inspected the finger closely. It was still bleeding. Sakura leaned in took a look too.

"Can I see your finger sweetie?" she asked. Suki, still sniffling, held out her finger for Sakura to see. She observed the cut closely. It looked deep, but not deep enough to where it would need stitches. It would just have to bleed itself out until the blood clotted.

"Oh it's not so bad. Here let's go clean that up okay?" said Sakura. Suki nodded. Sakura fished into her purse and brought out her trusty on-the-go first aid kit.

"You carry around a first aid kit?" asked Sasuke. Sakura gave him a look as if he asked a stupid question.

"Uhhh…yeah. I'm a doctor after all. Plus, having a son equals big boo boo's all the time," She said. Sasuke just continued to stare at her.

"…What? You don't carry one around?" she asked. He shook his head. She just sort of rolled her eyes.

"Well, girls are less likely to get physically injured than boys on a regular basis," Said Sasuke.

"Yeah…. sure…" said Sakura in a voice that said '_your kids the one with the injury here_'. She turned to Suki. "Anyway, let's go clean that up" said Sakura as she took Suki's hand and lead her to the lady's room.

As the two of them left, Ino sighed and shook her head. "Well," she started. "That's Sakura for you. Even when she's out, she still plays doctor." She said.

Sasuke watched Sakura lead Suki into the Lady's room. Sora watched Sasuke watch them leave. Sora glared while Sasuke successful ignored the glare (even though he was still irked by it somewhat), and Shikamaru observed all transactions. He mentally chuckled at the sight of Sasuke getting a glare down from his mini-me.

_**In the Lady's room…**_

Sakura lead Suki inside the restroom. The place was neat, clean and sophisticated with lovely artwork again inspired by the feudal era printed all over the walls. Flower vases were stationed at each corner of the room. Sakura walked past the stalls and went over to the sinks, where there was a large vanity mirror before the black marble sinks. For a bathroom, it smelled pretty good too. Sakura lifted Suki by her arms and placed her over the counter surrounding the sinks.

"Okay Suki, let get that cut cleaned up first and then I'll bandage it," She said as she opened her mini first aid kit.

"Okay." said Suki. The tears had dried up by now but the sniffles continued. She watched as Sakura took out a little spray bottle that had "Sting-free Alcohol" written on it. "This won't hurt at all," she said before spraying several times over Suki's finger. She was right. There was no stinging feeling.

Sakura then pulled out a half coiled tube of medication. She got a Q-tip and dabbed it with a squirt of the medicine. After placing the medicine on the affected area, Sakura pulled out a small box of Band-Aids. She grabbed a couple and showed them to Suki.

"Which one would you like Suki?" asked Sakura. Suki looked over all of them carefully. There were five to choose from. Each one had its own color. Suki, being Suki, chose a light pink one.

"Pink, how great. Sora never uses those ones anyway," She said as she unwrapped the Band-Aid and carefully wrapped it over Suki's left index finger. Then, out of reflex, Sakura took Suki's bandaged finger and kissed it. She always did that to all of Sora's cuts.

"Kisses make it all better right?" said Sakura. Suki smiled and giggled at her. Sakura made her feel really nice. She was pretty and kind had the coolest pink hair ever. Suki also like the way Sakura smiled. Out of all the women that were really involved in her life, Suki felt like Sakura was the most motherly, even though they just met today. No one else kissed her cuts when she got them. Sure her Grandma, Aunt Tenten, Aunt Hinata, Ino and her teacher all cared about her, but Sakura was different. She was just a little more special, or at least she felt more special around her.

Suki decided that she really like Sora's mommy. "_He's lucky."_ She thought.

Sakura brought Suki down from the counter. "Let's go back alright?" she asked while extending her hand out to her.

"Okay" said Suki as she grabbed on to Sakura's left hand with her uninjured one. As they left the restroom, Suki was continuously swinging her bandaged hand from side to side admiring the pinkness of it all.

Everyone at the table was busy doing something. The rest of the kids were playing with their silverware but quickly stopped after Ino scolded them about what just happened to Suki. They resided to just play with the cloth napkins instead, making hats out of them.

Ino was finishing off her salad and Sasuke and Shikamaru had begun talking about business again.

"So the meeting four months from now should give them a more informed report on the pediatric research project then," Said Sasuke.

"Exactly" said Shikamaru. "The main focus was on how the dosage of medication was leveled out depending on the age of the patient. Lab results show the dosages may need to be decreases a bit from age 12 and below. It we can get that message across, then that will mean big savings on all prescription drugs altogether," Said Shikamaru. His newest project was focused on pediatric medicine.

"Just out of curiosity, is that meeting scheduled before or after Christmas?" asked Ino. She turned to Shikamaru, "Akira has a recital that I will not have you miss," Shikamaru sighed and muttered something about being "Troublesome".

"It's a week before Christmas. When's that recital supposed to happen?" asked Sasuke.

"The Saturday before Christmas," Said Ino. Please tell me your meeting is before then." She pleaded.

"Don't worry…it is." Sasuke answered. He turned his head and saw Sakura walking back while holding Suki's hand. There was a noticeable pink bandage wrapped around her finger that Suki seemed to be fascinated with.

Suki waved at him with her injured hand. Sasuke smiled a bit at the sight. Sakura lead Suki to her seat and then returned to her own next to Sasuke.

"Thanks." Sasuke said. She got adjusted in her seat when she turned to him and smiled saying it was no problem at all. She put the first aid kit back into her purse.

"Daddy, look at my Band-Aid." Said Suki as she held up her little finger to Sasuke. She looked pretty happy for someone who just received a cut. Sasuke took a hold of her finger and let his other hand run through her hair.

"Are you okay then?" he asked. Suki nodded her head. She looked over at Sakura who was smiling at her.

"So Sakura," said Ino. "You should come and watch the girls in their ballet recital this Saturday. They have a recital every two months. The Christmas one is the biggest of the year," Ino said. . "All the girls are permitted four tickets. Akira only needs two for Shika and Akio and I'm the instructor so you and Sora can have the other two if you like," She said.

"I would love to come and watch but I really don't know if I can. I have no idea how tight my schedule will be. Normally I don't work on Saturday or Sunday but I'm always on-call so I can't make any promises. But I'll call you and see if we can make it," said Sakura.

"Please Aunty Sakura. We're doing Swan Lake this time," Said Akira.

"And we have pretty wings too" said Suki. Then the two began a little chant of "please" over and over again. Sakura and Ino couldn't help but laugh.

"We'll see girls. I really hope I can but if I can't then Sora could always come and watch you guys," She said as she turned to her son. He was talking to Akio and then looked up as his name was mentioned.

"What?" said Sora

"Wouldn't you like to go see their recital?" asked Sakura.

Sora turned to Akio who mouthed that their recitals were "boring". Of course he couldn't say that to his mother so he just nodded.

After everyone settled down again, the waiter came and asked if anyone wanted dessert. Everyone including, the kids, was stuffed so they just asked for the check. When the waiter came back, Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura and Sasuke sort of had a pulling contest on who gets to pay the bill. Sasuke said that he would pay while Sakura said that she was willing to pay all of it too and Ino absolutely demanded…that Shikamaru pay for it all. Everyone at the table sweat dropped. "_Grown-ups just keep getting weirder"_ was on all the kids' minds.

In the end it, no one had to pay anything once the restaurant owner Chouji came up to them. He insisted that their entire meal was on the house. Chouji, Shikamaru and Ino were all really good friends. After that was settled, everyone left to start going home. It was nearing 9 pm at this point and the kids were starting to doze off. Akira was already knocked out and Shikamaru had to carry her. Akio was well on his way to falling asleep so Ino just opted to carry him as well. Sora was yawning like there was no tomorrow and Suki's head was bobbing up and down trying to remain awake. In the end, the two of them had to be carried by Sasuke and Sakura. They all left the restaurant, while they were walking out, several people commented on how adorable the kids were. Sasuke and Sakura were walking next to each other when one old lady's comment kind of threw them for a loop.

"The two of you have the most adorable twins," she said while pointing to Sora and Suki with a smile.

Both Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other uneasily. "Uhhh… haha thank you," said Sakura. It was easier than stopping to explain anything anyway. They all left the restaurant and stopped outside the entrance. Shikamaru and Ino went one way and Sasuke and Sakura both walked toward the back parking lot.

"Well,…that was a little awkward. But I guess they just based it off their black hair," said Sakura.

"Yeah. ..Thanks again…for Suki's cut I mean," Sasuke clarified while shifting Suki in his arms a bit.

"It was no problem at all. She's just the cutest little girl I've ever seen. I'm just surprised that she got hurt today instead of this one here," she said while placing her hand on Sora's head. His head was currently resting between Sakura's neck and shoulder.

"Why? Does he get hurt often?" asked Sasuke.

"Well, he doesn't get hurt badly. He's just a little on the clumsy side but I'm hoping Karate will give him more coordination," Said Sakura. "Anyway, we should get going. It's getting chilly and I don't want them to catch a cold. Flu season is approaching you know," She said.

"Yeah…so I'll see you on tomorrow then…Dr. Haruno," He said with a small smirk and that same teasing voice.

"Maybe…Mr. Uchiha," She said with her own smirk. She laughed and then turned to walk to her car. As she turned Sasuke could see that Sora was not asleep but wide-awake and glaring at him. His small arms went to circle Sakura's neck tighter as if he was marking his territory.

"_What is with that kid?"_ thought Sasuke. He turned and walked back to his own car with Suki still asleep in his arms. He opened the car door and placed Suki into the back seat and strapped her in the seatbelt. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove off. It was another fifteen minutes until they reached the house. After he tucked her into her bed, Sasuke turned her night-light on and gave her a kiss on the head. She kind of woke up after that.

"Mmmmmm…. Daddy…?" she asked sleepily.

"Yeah Suki?" he asked while crouching down next to her. She turned over to face him with sleepy eyes.

"I like Sora's mommy. She's nice …(Yawn)…and pretty…and she kissed my cut to make it better… (Longer Yawn)…and she has eyes…like…me. I really like her," She said as she finally dozed off again.

Sasuke watched as her beautiful green eyes slowly closed for the night. He was at peace when he saw Suki sound asleep in her bed after enjoying a nice day out. It was a complete turnaround from her breakdown the other night. He knew it was mostly because of Sakura; Suki was obviously fond of her. He appreciated it, but what did that mean for him? He couldn't have Suki expecting something that wasn't there. The last thing he wanted was for her to get her to her hopes up with the possibility of having them shattered. He will not see his little girl cry herself to sleep ever again. Not if he could help it. As he got up and left Suki's room to head to his own, he couldn't help but think more about the position.

Sasuke was a man and he was no idiot. He knew that Sakura was a very attractive young woman. She was smart, kind, loving, hardworking, and a great mother. He could tell all of this from just two days of knowing her. But this was just a fact. This didn't mean that his observations could be translated into an attraction.

He still knew nothing about her or her past. However, that was all grounds to get to know her better which he was actually willing to do. He wasn't afraid to admit that he thought she was attractive. What really caught him was probably the fact that she was the only other woman that could relate to him on parenting. Being a single parent is never easy. Sasuke had his family around all the time and he was rich since the day he was born. Sakura on the other hand was different on some levels. But it was those levels that intrigued Sasuke.

* * *

**Sakura's house:**

Back at the parking lot, Sakura was surprised when she noticed that Sora was not asleep. He was glaring at Sasuke… again.

After they got home, she tucked him into his little racecar bed and pulled the covers over, even though she knew they would just end up discarded on the side. She kissed the top of his head; she knew he was still awake.

"Sora…sweetie, you want to tell why you were so upset today?" Sakura asked as she sat on the edge of his bed.

"….I don't know…" Sora mumbled. As he remained with his back turned to her.

"Does it have anything to do with Suki's daddy?" she asked. She knew her son well. Sora shifted and turned to face her.

"Do you like him?" he asked bluntly. Sakura looked stunned.

"What? Well...I mean, yes I do. He's my boss Sora and I work with him. He's a nice man. Sweetheart, what's wrong? Why don't you like Sasuke?" she asked.

"…I…don't know." He said again. In all honesty, he really didn't know why he disliked Sasuke so much.

"Honey, there has to be a reason why you don't like him. He's Suki's daddy and he seems nice. What are you so worried about?" she asked while running her hand through his soft black hair.

"I don't know," he repeated. Clearly they were getting nowhere tonight. It was getting late and he had school tomorrow. Sakura decided to just drop it for tonight. It's not like she would be seeing Sasuke like she did tonight every day. I mean, how many times can you go out with your friends and boss at the same time?

"Okay sweetie, we'll talk about it later okay?" she said as she kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight baby" she said as she closed his door.

Sora yawned "Goodnight Mommy".

Sakura went into her room and changed out of her scrubs. She went to her closet and picked out a random black silk nightdress and slid it right on. She tied her hair up in a lose bun and lay down on her side of the bed. Even though she slept alone now, out of habit, she still tended to curl up on the side facing the window. She starred out at the moon. There weren't any stars out tonight, just the moon in all its full glory. She starred at it and started to get lost in her thoughts.

She was really troubled by Sora's behavior today. He's never become so…for a lack of a better word, _territorial_ before. Did he see Sasuke as some kind of a threat to him or to Sakura? For the life of her she just couldn't understand it. He was a wonderful boy and an aspiring artist just like his father.

After thinking about her late husband, she turned around from facing the window to face the empty side of the bed. She ran her hands along the pillow and the mattress where he slept many times before. She missed him…she missed him in so many ways. She missed his drawings and snide remarks. She missed his sweet kisses and tender embraces. She missed the way he would hold her at night and keep her warm and safe in his arms. She missed making love in the middle of the night. She missed the way he would play with their child and try to teach him to say 'daddy' before 'mommy' just to annoy her. She missed him following her around and snapping pictures like he was a stalker or the paparazzi. She missed waking up to see him starring at her and caressing her hair lovingly. She missed Sai. She missed the love of her life.

She had pretty much accepted the fact that Sasuke was a close resemblance and nothing more compared to Sai. It was quite a shock to see him at first. But now after spending a little time with him, Sakura realized that Sasuke could end up being a really good friend to her. After all, he was the only one she could relate to when it came to raising a child as a single parent. But it was better not to think too much into anything regarding Sasuke. He was her boss and the likelihood of them ever coming into close contact again was very slim. It's not like he was going to check up on her every day at the hospital.

To top it all off, her son made it clear tonight that he didn't like the man. He must have his reasons and whatever they were Sakura would try her best to understand them. But for now, she would let it go. Tomorrow is another day full of patients that would need her and she needed to be ready for them.


	8. Stressed Out

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 8: Stressed Out**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Hyuga Residence:**

It was nearing 6am. The sun's presence was making itself known by turning the horizon a faint bluish color while the rest of the vast sky was still a dark remnant of the previous night. The quiet and serene houses of the beautiful gated community were still at its peaceful slumber. Almost everyone was still enjoying their sleep; everyone except a certain brunette.

Tenten was peacefully sleeping in her brown tank top and her husband's black boxer shorts. Her hair was let loose form the everyday buns that she normally had during the day. The only one to really see her with her hair in the manner was her husband who was sleeping soundly next to her.

Tenten was still having a pretty interesting dream.

_She was in the middle of a forest and loaded with all kinds of weapons. Apparently she was a ninja in this dream and she was busy hunting down a certain someone hiding in the forest. She was leaping though the trees as if she were flying and slowly catching up to the mystery person. As she got closer she realized that this mystery person seemed familiar. Long dark brown hair tied at the bottom, tall stature, and eyes that put the full moon to shame. She was chasing Neji. In a dream, one does not normally question why they do the things that they're doing; all she knew was that she needed to catch him._

_After throwing various weapons at him with remarkable accuracy, Tenten had failed to nail him. She froze, then all of the sudden, Neji disappeared and reappeared right behind her. He wrapped his arm around her abdomen and whispered in her ear_

_"Tenten…. you don't want to hurt the baby now…do you?" he said as his hot breath tingled in her ear._

_Her eyes widened and she looked down, and her once flat abdomen was now full on pregnant with Neji's arm stroking her belly. She turned around and what she saw shocked her; the veins around his eyes were pulsing and her whole body felt as if it was being penetrated. It was like her could see right through her._

Dr. Neji Hyuga was barley waking up from his sleep. He turned from facing the window and faced his wife who was still sleeping. He pulled himself closer to her and pulled her into his warm embrace with his strong arms. As soon as he was settled, Tenten woke up screaming "Holy Crap!" officially startling her husband.

"Tenten, what's wrong?" asked Neji as he looked at her with concern…and annoyance for jump-starting his heart rate so damn early in the morning.

She quickly turned around to face him. She looked surprised for a second, and then she relaxed. She let out a sigh.

"Neji …I just had the most bizarre dream," She said as she snuggled closer to him. She buried her face in his chest while he wrapped his arms around her and played with her hair.

"Really," He said while he inhaled her scent through her hair. He loved playing with her hair. The fact that she tied in up during the day and only let it down at night for him was one of his guilty pleasures.

"We were ninja and I was hunting you down with a load of bad-ass weapons," She said as her breathing started to calm down somewhat.

"…Why would you hunt me down?" he asked in an exasperated voice. She mumbled something into his chest that he couldn't quit make out. He opted to just ignore it and continue to snuggle with her. He continuously played with her hair and moved it out of the way. He slowly planted small kisses on her neck and worked his way up. He was getting closer to her lips…. closer…closer…. one more kiss and he's there.

Tenten on the other hand, was anticipating the kiss when all of the sudden…. her world turned green. Her eyes widened and she quickly jumped out of bed and ran straight to their bathroom and shut the door.

She leaned over the toilet and threw up like there was no tomorrow. She held her hair back and just let it all out. She had been at it for weeks now. She wasn't slow to think that she might have been pregnant. She and Neji had lightly tossed around the idea of having kids sometime soon, but now it seems like their plans have been one upped some. She confirmed she was pregnant two weeks ago via home pregnancy test and if she calculated it just right, she was around 3 months along by now. Lucky for her the morning sickness started only 3 weeks ago.

After she figured there was nothing more to empty out of her stomach, she flushed the toilet and went over to the sink to grab her toothbrush and some tooth paste. She figured she might as well get in a shower now that she won't be able to go back to sleep. Plus, she and Neji had to be at work in an hour.

She flung her clothes to the side and stepped into the shower. She felt much better after throwing up. The shower only helped make her feel more relaxed. After lathering her hair and brushing her teeth at the same time she rinsed herself off and grabbed a towel. Wrapping it around her, she secured the towel and walked out of the bathroom to find Neji up and about in their room wearing only his scrub pants and a towel in his hand drying off his hair.

"_Must have showered in the other bathroom,"_ She thought. She went over to their walk in closet and grabbed a pair of scrubs as well.

While still in the closet, she also grabbed her underwear and proceeded to dress herself in the closet. Ever since she knew for sure that she was pregnant, Tenten had been just a little bit more self-conscious. Even after being only 3 months pregnant, she was already starting to feel huge. After she had slipped on her scrub pants, she noticed that Neji was standing in the doorway of the closet leaning on the side and observing her. His eyes were super concentrated on her abdomen for a moment before their gaze trailed up to meet her eyes. At this point, Tenten was clad in only her scrub pants and her black bra with her still wet hair down.

He walked up to her and just stared into her eyes. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Ok…ok…I'm pregnant. Not that you didn't know already…"she mumbled the last part. Neji leaned in and kissed her gently before kneeling down before her and pressing his ear to her very slightly rounded stomach. From up above, she could see that he was smirking. His arms came up to encircle her waist as they just stayed there like that for a while. She played with his long hair and sighed.

"How long have you known Neji?" she asked quietly. He kissed her stomach quickly before standing up again. He took her into his arms and mumbled into her hair.

"Probably since the minute you conceived," He said.

"WHAT?" she shouted.

Neji just chuckled. "Tenten…it was obvious," he said as if that explained it all. "You've been throwing up almost every morning for the past few weeks and before that, you've been more hormonal than ever. That and you left the positive home pregnancy test in the trashcan," He said while smirking.

"Smart ass," She said as she snuggled closer into his embrace.

* * *

**Konoha Leaf Academy**

After his mom dropped him off and left, Sora met up with Akio at the front of the school and the two of them walked in together.

They entered the classroom and looked around for Akira and Suki. Sora had only known all of them for a week now but it was enough time for the four of them to form a close friendship. Sora and Akio now considered themselves best friends, Suki and Akira were already best friends, Akio and Akira were brother and sister and Sora and Suki got along well enough.

Together the four of them spent as much time together as possible and sometimes even more so after school. Now that they all knew that their parents were all friends, it somehow made their bond a little more special. It was more like they were all family now.

After spotting the girls sitting in the middle of the rug, Sora and Akio sat next to them.

"Hi Sora," Suki and Akira greeted together. The two were previously discussing none other than their upcoming recital tomorrow and couldn't talk about anything else.

"Hi guys." Sora returned. No one bothered saying hi to Akio because he wouldn't even mutter a response.

All the kids were excited this morning. Today was "show and tell". Every two weeks or so would be show and tell week. Everyone was eager to present his or her own object. Kurenai Sensei came up the front of the group and sat down in her chair.

"Alright class, it's time to begin show and tell," She said. "Does anyone want to go first?" she asked. Almost everyone's hands went into the air. She chuckled a little before finally choosing a boy from the front row. Show and tell was going by pretty fast. Soon it was Suki's turn to go up and show her object to the class.

She went up to the front and pulled out a small tiara.

"My show and tell thing today is my Tiara." She said while holding up the small crown for everyone to see. All the girls were "Ohhh-ing and Ahhh -ng" at the shiny tiara that seemed to twinkle when the light was shone on it.

"My grandpa gave it to me after one of my ballet recitals. He said that it meant for princess to wear only," She said.

"Very good Suki," said Kurenai Sensei. "You can sit down now," She said. Suki took her crown and sat back down next to Akira who had already shown her necklace to the class.

"Ok…who hasn't gone yet…. ah…Sora, your turn." Kurenai Sensei said as she pointed at him on the rug. Sora got up and shuffled through his backpack and pulled out a piece of paper. He walked up to the front of the class and held up the picture. The whole class was really amazed at his drawing.

"This is a picture that I drew yesterday" Sora explained. "It's a ninja shooting fire balls from his mouth. All the boys in the class we shouting how cool that picture was.

The drawing was in color. The ninja in the center had dark hair but was wearing a black cloak with red clouds on it. The cloak covered up much his face so you couldn't see much of it except for his eyes. Sora colored his eyes red with black dots in them. Fire was coming out of his mouth in a gigantic flame the surrounded most of the picture. It wasn't drawn to perfection but for a five-year-old to draw something of that good was amazing.

The picture moved even Akio. "That one is cooler than the other one Sora," he said. Everyone else was complementing him; even Kurenai Sensei told him he did a great job. He blushed at everyone's praise. His mom always told him he did a great job on all his drawings but he never really showed them to anyone else.

After he was done, Sora went and sat back down next to his friends. Suki leaned over and whispered to him.

"It kind of looks like my Uncle Itachi and my Daddy too," She said as she giggled. Sora looked at his picture again. Now that he really focused on it, it did look like some combination of her Father and Uncle. Sora smiled at her but on the inside he was frowning.

He must have been thinking about her dad when he drew this picture. After dinner a few nights ago, Sora felt a little on edge about Suki's dad. He hadn't seen him all week but the thought of him was still upsetting to him. When Sora first saw Sasuke, he felt like he had seen him somewhere before. He has a very familiar presence around him but at the same time Sora knew that he had never met him before.

When he saw Sasuke talking to his mother, Sora felt undeniably protective all of the sudden. It confused him because there was nothing really wrong with the guy. Sora was really confused and until he didn't feel that way anymore, he decided that he just didn't like Sasuke. But he must have been thinking about it a lot to unconsciously draw him in a picture.

Sora looked over at Suki and couldn't help but feel a little guilty about not liking her daddy. Suki was always saying how great her dad was so he must be a good guy right? Sora really didn't want Suki to know that he doesn't like Sasuke because he knew that she would get hurt and he felt like it was his job to protect Suki too. He remembered when she came up to him yesterday and told him something interesting.

_The kids were having their recess indoors today. Sora was just sitting at his desk and drawing when Suki came up and sat down next to him._

_"Hey Sora, guess what my daddy told me," She said. Sora stopped drawing and looked up at her._

_"What?" he asked. _

_"My daddy said that since My Aunty Tenten and Uncle Neji are your Aunty and Uncle too, we could be like cousins." She said while flinging her arms in the air with excitement._

_"…Really?" asked Sora. Suki nodded her head vigorously in response._

_"Isn't that great? You and me are family now!" she said while hugging him. Sora blushed in embarrassment. Hugging a girl was license for other kids to tease you and that was something Sora would like to avoid. Suki pulled away from him and her face was a little less energetic this time._

_"…Although…" she started, "I kind of wish you were my brother." She said quietly. "You know, like Akio and Akira." She said._

_Sora smiled at her. "Well," he started. She looked up at him. "Whenever it's just you and me, we could say that we're brother and sister." He said with a small smile. He felt better when her face light up._

_"REALLY?" she screamed. _

_"Yeah" said Sora. Suki screamed again and hugged him tighter this time. She spent the rest of the day calling him "Oniichan"._

Suki and Akira were talking to each other again about their recital tomorrow. Apparently, Sora will be attending that event along with his mom if she could go. He wanted to go and to see Suki and Akira dance but at the same time, he knew he would see Sasuke again. He was Suki's dad after all so he would defiantly be there. He only hoped at this point that his mom wouldn't be able to go.

* * *

**Konoha Medical Center: Sakura's Office. **

Sakura was standing in the elevator with her coffee in one hand and a blueberry muffin in the other hand. She had just gotten to work and over the past week, she had made it a routine to grab a quick breakfast from the cart outside the hospital for the elevator ride up to her office.

She had just gotten here after dropping Sora off at school. The elevator stopped at the 8th floor, which contained the Maternity ward, the nursery, the labor and delivery room, as well as her office. After only one week at the hospital, Sakura had already handled numerous high-risk pregnancy cases that have given her the reputation as the Mother of pregnancy.

She stepped out of the elevator and made her way down the hall. Her office was fairly large and had a great view of the city. Granted the view wasn't as nice as the one from Sasuke office but it was still showing the city in all its glory.

She stopped in front of her office door where written in gold letters was "Dr. Sakura Haruno OB/GYN PEDS". She flipped through her key chain and unlocked her door. She went around to her desk and placed her purse underneath. She already had a stack of patient reports to see through on her desk. She picked up a couple while biting into her muffin.

There were a few patients that she would be consulting about possible modes of delivery of their babies and more pediatrics cases too. She didn't get too many of those; the hospital staff pretty much considered her the head of Obstetrics and didn't try to bother her with the pediatric cases. But she wanted to do it. She loved working with the kids more than anything.

A knock on her door interrupted her report analysis.

"Come in" she said. The door opened and in walked Tenten. Her hair was tied up in the usual two buns on her head and she was wearing the exact same thing Sakura was, Midnight blue scrubs and a doctor's coat.

"Hey Tenten!" said Sakura.

"Hey there Sakura…whatcha doing?" said Tenten as she took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk. Sakura casually watched her for a bit before taking another bite out of her muffin.

"Ohhh…. nothing much. Just having breakfast and looking over some patient files. What's up?" said Sakura.

Tenten fidgeted a bit in her seat. She was never one to crack under pressure but the hormones were really getting to her. Being pregnant was throwing her off completely.

"Well…I…umm…. actually I wanted to tell you something and…. damn it's hot in here!" she shouted as she began to fan herself with her hand. Sakura looked over at the thermostat; the air conditioner was on full blast and the room was a cool 65 degrees.

"What do you mean? Its 65 degrees in here! It's practically a freezer. Are you okay Tenten?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"No no I'm fine." She said while still fanning herself with her hand. Sakura looked her over once again. Even though she claimed she was warm, Tenten looked fine. As a matter of fact, there was a certain glow about her lately. Sakura knew exactly what it was. It was a mother's glow. She noticed it the first day she came to the hospital. Tenten's notoriously flat abs were now rounded and barely noticeable to the untrained eye. The scrubs also hid it well.

"Tenten, you said that there was something you wanted to tell me?" said Sakura. She was looking at Tenten expecting to hear confirmation on what she already knew.

"Well…Okay Sakura. I'm….ummm…..I'm," she just couldn't get the words out.

"…Pregnant?" Sakura supplied. Tenten sighed in defeat.

"Dammit all!" she said. "Why can't I just surprise one person? Everybody knows about it. Most of them knew before I even did. Uhhhh…. I lack the element of surprise don't I? That's why I couldn't stab Neji in my dream!" she exclaimed.

Sakura gave her a startled look. "Why would you stab…never mind," she said shaking it off. "First of all," she started. "You really expected me…an obstetrician…. not to notice when someone's pregnant?" she asked. Tenten just pouted at her. "Second of all," said Sakura while standing up, "CONGRADULATIONS!" she shouted as she gave Tenten a big hug.

"Thanks Sakura." Said Tenten as Sakura released her. "And of course Neji and I wanted to ask you if you would be this baby's Godmother,"

Sakura gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "Of course I'd love to be the godmother. Oh this is so exciting Tennie (nick name Sakura uses when she's excited) I can't wait until this baby is born," Tenten just smiled at her. Sakura came up and hugged her again all the while saying "I'm going to be a god mamma," again and again.

"Okay Sakura calm down. I can't have my obstetrician in a tizzy," Said Tenten.

"Sorry" said Sakura. "I'm just so thrilled for you guys. You and Neji are going to make such great parents I just know it,"

"Thanks. I hope we are. Well…I know Neji will be great. But I'm a little nervous. I have a strange feeling that this baby is a boy. Don't ask why I just have a feeling," Said Tenten.

"Oh please." Sakura responded. "When I was pregnant and I had that same feeling. I knew Sora was a boy even before I had the ultrasound. It's called a mother's intuition. It's a spin off from women's intuition,"

"Well I was hoping that maybe you could do an ultrasound just so that I can at least see the baby today. These hormones are driving me crazy and I just want to see what's going on in there. I've kind of been holding out on getting a check-up until you got here" she confessed.

"Of course I would love to give you an ultrasound. But can it wait till after lunch? I have patients to see right now," said Sakura.

"Oh yeah sure," said Tenten. "You want to have lunch together today?" she asked

"Sure. I'll page you when I'm out," Said Sakura. Tenten left after that. Sakura grabbed her files and stepped out of her office. She had to go down to the second floor first to pick up some reports from the nursing station first.

When she arrived she went straight to the desk and picked up the reports. Hinata was there wearing yellow scrub coat with a protective cap covering her dark hair. She must have gotten out of an isolation room.

"Hello Sakura," Hinata greeted.

"Hey Hinata. Have you heard the news?" asked Sakura

"Tenten's pregnancy? I knew," She laughed a little. "Almost everyone knew before she did. Poor Neji ni-san, she'll be taking out all her frustrations on him," She said with a chuckle.

"Yeah poor Neji. Oh well, he's the one that knocked her up so…" the two of them laughed. After saying bye to Hinata, Sakura went back to the elevators and pushed the button to go up. The light went off and the elevator doors slide open.

Sakura was about to step inside when she looked up and saw Sasuke in the elevator looking right at her. She kind of jumped a bit.

"…Hi Sasuke." She said while stepping into the elevator. The doors closed soon after that. She pushed the button for the 10th floor and noticed that the 15th floor button was already highlighted.

"Sakura." He acknowledged. He was wearing black slacks with really nice black shoes and a blue office shirt with a darker blue tie around his neck. He also had the ever-professional black jacket; over all, he looked ready for the office. The elevator started to go up.

"How have you been these last few days?" She asked. He just sort of shrugged.

"Not much has changed really," Said Sasuke. "How has your first week been here?" he asked.

"Great. My office is organized now and I've familiarized myself with the area. The patients are wonderful and I pretty much love it here," she answered.

"Good" he said. They both didn't say anything for a few seconds. They were barely at the fifth floor, and it was already getting awkward.

"So," said Sakura. She was never really one for silence. "How's Suki doing? Has her finger healed yet?"

"She's doing well. The Band-Aid came off two day ago. She insisted that she be allowed to keep the band aid," Sakura laughed.

"Awww, she is just the sweetest thing. Oh I hope you didn't let her keep it though. Used Band-Aids are grounds for bacterial growth," Said Sakura.

"…No. Of course I didn't let her keep it," He said while looking at the floor indicators on the top of the elevator.

"Good," said Sakura. "The last thing you need is for Suki to obtain an infection from playing with a used Band-Aid."

"Right," Said Sasuke. "_I have to get that Band-Aid away from Suki," _he thought. He fell victim to her puppy dog eyes again and let her keep it. Of course he would never let Sakura find out about that.

The elevator was on the 8th floor now. Silence for another few seconds and then…

"So…"she said, trying to keep up the talking. "Are you going to the ballet recital tomorrow?" asked Sakura.

Sasuke looked down at Sakura who was looking up at him. He was at least a good head taller than her. The lights that lined the elevator made her eyes seem just a little greener if that was possible. Sasuke briefly wondered if Suki's eyes would turn out like Sakura's when she got older.

" …. Are you…ok Sasuke?" asked Sakura. He was just kind of starring at her without saying anything.

"Hn? Oh…, I'm planning on it. It all depends on what I've got scheduled today," He said while looking away from her.

Sakura looked thought full for a moment. "Can I just give you a word of advice?" she asked. He gave her a sideways glance before nodding his head.

"Go to the recital…no matter what, just go," She said. He looked down at her again. She was looking at the top of the elevators where the light flashed on the 10th floor. The elevator gave a ping and the doors slide open. She started to walk out and then turned to face him.

"A girl's father is her biggest fan," she said as the doors began to close. The last thing she saw was his face become a little softer…only a little though.

As soon as the doors were closed, Sakura headed straight to the designated patients room. She looked into the glass of room 1012. Inside, there was a little boy who was awake and talking to a man who Sakura guessed was his father. She knocked on the door and walked in.

"Hello I'm Dr. Haruno." She said. The man stood up to shake her hand. He was pretty tall with a very rugged appearance. His hair was short brown and spiky and he had two red tattoos on his face that looked like fangs.

"Hi Doctor Haruno, I'm Inuzuka Kiba. This is my son, Jun," He said while indicating the boy.

"Hi Jun," said Sakura as she went up to stand by his bedside. The little boy looked like his dad minus the tattoos. He looked a little pale and had a high fever of 102 degrees. He was admitted into the hospital yesterday and after he collapsed at home.

"Hi," said Jun. Sakura smiled at him. When dealing with children, you really had to be careful when you spoke to them. They wouldn't understand anything you said medically but you had to look positive.

"I'm going to check your temperature really quick and then give you some more medicine. You should get some sleep after that," She said while pulling out the thermometer from the tray next to him. The boy just nodded. After she was done taking his temperature, Sakura asked if she could speak with Kiba outside for a minute.

They went outside the room and stood next to the window where they could see Jun falling asleep.

"So, what's up with my son?" asked Kiba. Sakura flipped through Jun's chart.

"Mr. Inuzuka," she started.

"Call me Kiba," He said. She smiled at him.

"Ok then, Kiba. The test results came back from the blood we sampled yesterday. Jun has a parasitic infection," She said.

"What, like a bug? How could that happen?" he asked.

"Well this particular infection was transmitted from animal contact. Do you have a dog or any other pet at home?" asked Sakura. He looked sheepish and scratched his face.

"Well, yeah a few," he started. "We have a dog at home and I'm a dog trainer. My family runs a training center and my wife runs the Veterinary office in down town. Jun's pretty much always hanging around the animals," He said while looking at his son through the window.

"Okay, well then I think that it's pretty much safe to say that he contracted the infection from one of the two places. This also means that the said infection is probably still there in one of the animals, so you should get that checked out," She said as she wrote something down in Jun's chart.

"Okay then. Um…what does this mean for my son?" he asked.

"Well right now were going to give him some antibiotics. After the fevers broken down, were going to give him some more medication to kill the infection itself. If it's all cleared up, he'll just be under observation for another day and if he's passed the final blood test then he can go home," Said Sakura.

Kiba let out a breath. "…Good. I don't want him to be here longer than he has to. I hate doctors and hospitals," Said Kiba. He began to stutter when he saw that Sakura raised an eyebrow at him.

"Uhhh…what I meant to say was" he started.

"It's okay…Kiba," she said. "I get it. Hospitals do tend to make some people a little squeamish," She said. After exchanging a few more words, Sakura left to finish off her rounds.

When Sakura had finished off all her assigned patients for the day, the rest of her time at the hospital would be on-call for the Emergency room if she were really needed.

"I guess I should page Tenten then." She said to herself as she dialed the number on her spectra link.

"Hi, this is Dr. Hyuga speaking," said Tenten quietly as she picked up the phone.

"Tenten, its Sakura. Are you still up for lunch?" she asked.

"Yeah…I'm in the NICU (ICU for babies) right now but you go ahead and grab your lunch and I'll see you there as soon as I can," Said Tenten quietly. You had to be quiet in the NICU.

"Ok then." Said Sakura as she hung up and went to the elevators. She was on the eighth floor now. The elevator doors opened and she walked in without looking first. For the second time that day she jumped when she saw, or rather, ran right into Sasuke. Sasuke on the other hand, just grabbed her shoulders prevent her from falling.

"Oh…jeez," said Sakura as she out her hand over her heart. "Sorry about that Sasuke." She said as she stepped away from him.

"…No problem." He said. "Why were you rushing?" he asked as the doors closed.

"Er.. I just had a clumsy moment." She said. "You heading out to lunch?" asked Sakura.

"No time," he said. "I've got a board meeting in a half hour." He said.

"But that still leaves you enough time for lunch now," she replied.

"I need to prepare," he answered.

"You should start by eating," she stated.

"I'll survive," he said quickly.

"Do you skip lunch often?" she asked swiftly

"Sometimes" he said right back.

"Are you aware that the mind functions with more clarity and precision when properly nourished by eating three times a day including lunch?" she said hastily while looking up at him.

"Are you aware that my eating habits do nothing to affect my performance regardless of whether or not I've eaten beforehand?" he asked in a calmer but nonetheless equally rapid pace as he looked down at her.

They shared a semi-glare contest for about 5 seconds.

"…Hmmmm," said Sakura. "It may not affect you now…but you have to think long term…Mr. Uchiha." She said with a tiny smirk. "It can and will catch up with you sooner or later."

"…Along with all my 'stress' right Dr. Haruno?" he said recalling her demand that he get a physical the other day.

"Absolutely! So I take it that you got the memo," Said Sakura.

"What memo?" asked Sasuke.

"The physical Exam," she said. She laughed when quirked his eyebrows at her. It made him look, not so unapproachable.

"….." Was Sasuke's response. Well, that and a face that screamed "_What the hell_?"

"What? Did you think I was kidding when I said I'd have you scheduled for a physical?" she asked.

"…All this because I won't eat my lunch?" he asked in a skeptical voice.

"All this because it's my job," she said. "The best medication is prevention. In today's society we see more cases of high blood pressure and stress related injury in younger generations. I would hate to see you waste away and you don't have to be a doctor to see that you are clearly overworked," Sakura stated.

"You seriously want to give me physical!" he stated. She just simply looked him in the eye and uttered a simple "Yes."

"Well I definitely can't march right into the GYN department can I?" he said with dry sarcasm.

"Who said you had to come to me? Why not go to the ER or the clinic?" she asked. Sasuke just looked away from her.

"I'd rather not get it done here," He said.

"And why not? Why wouldn't you want testing from the best hospital in Japan?" she asked.

"It's not the facility I'm concerned about." He said. The last time he got a physical, the nurses went crazy when they found out Sasuke would be taking his shirt off. They went from highly trained professionals to idiotic schoolgirls in less than a minute. It took everything he had not to fire all of them right then and there, not to mention covering up their carelessness from destroying the hospital reputation.

Just then, the elevator came to a stop on the ground floor. The elevator doors opened and the two walked out together until they reached the center of the lobby.

"Well it seems that we have reached an impasse," said Sakura in a mock intelligent voice. "But it means nothing," said Sakura, "I will find a way to get you to test Mr. Uchiha. Just you wait."

"Is that a challenge Dr. Haruno?" he asked with his signature smirk. She looked him over once before settling her gaze on his eyes.

"You know it," She said as she turned to walk towards the cafeteria. "Eat some lunch," She said as she was walking away. Sasuke just continued to smirk while watching her walk off in the other direction.

She really was something else. He hadn't seen much of her throughout the week but it seems like she's settled in well. Her commanding attitude and assertiveness were a little on the annoying side, yet somehow they only managed to make her all the more…interesting. That was the only word he could use to describe her.

**After Lunch…**

Tenten and Sakura walked together towards the GYN department. They had just finished their lunch and as promised, Sakura would do the ultrasound on Tenten to check on the baby.

"You nervous?" asked Sakura as she was getting the machine ready. Tenten was already prepped in the stir-ups and hospital gown.

"About the baby…sort of, about that probe in your hands about to make it way up my womanhood, yes," Said Tenten as she starred at the probe in Sakura's hand.

Sakura laughed. "Suki it up Tennie. It's not that bad. Besides, it's the best way to see your little bundle of joy this early in the pregnancy. I'll do another ultrasound that's less invasive when you're further along." She said as she began to insert the probe.

"Ohhh this is unpleasant," said Tenten as she was being invaded. She turned her head to look at the image on the screen, trying to figure out what she was seeing.

Sakura on the other hand knew exactly what was going on. Needless to say she was shocked at what she saw. She absolutely shocked and positively overjoyed at the same time.

"Tenten…" said Sakura slowly.

"What? Oh God what's wrong Sakura?" asked Tenten in a panic.

"Remember when you said you wanted to surprise Neji?" Tenten nodded. "Well now's your chance," said Sakura as she pointed to the screen. As Sakura explained and pointed to the screen, Tenten's eyes widened.

"Holy Crap!" was Tenten's only response.

* * *

**Later that Day: around 3PM. **

Sasuke was consumed in paper work. Not that that was anything new. The presentation in December regarding Shikamaru's research in medicinal dosages was still three months away but Sasuke was already making preparations for that.

He looked over at the clock. He sighed realizing that this would be his last day picking up Suki from her ballet practice. His parents were coming back from Osaka on Sunday. On the plus side, he could spend more time at work getting more paper work done. On the down side, he would be spending more time at work…getting…more paperwork done. He mentally sighed again. It was a lose/lose situation for him and he knew it.

Suki was really happy this week because she got to spend more time with him because he was picking her up. Now she would have to wait until the evenings to see him again. He shuffled through the papers on his desk and foraged for the picture of Suki at the beach.

When he found it, he just looked at her little smiling face holding a mini shovel and bucket while wearing a bright pink swimsuit. They went to the beach last summer with his parents. It was Suki's first time there and she loved it, including all the floaties that Sasuke insisted that she wear. He smiled at her picture.

Just then, he heard the intercom go off. He went around to his desk and pushed the button.

"Mr. Uchiha, Naruto is here," Said his secretary. He also heard the juvenile 'hey teme' in the background.

"Send him in.," said Sasuke as he released the button. Naruto came in through the door shortly after that.

"Hey Sasuke, do know if…what happened here?" he asked as he scanned the office. A good portion of the books from the shelves now lay open at random pages and sprawled all over Sasuke's desk accompanied by tons and tons of paper work. Sasuke looked over them at the blond.

"What is it Dobe?" asked Sasuke uncaringly at his outburst. He just continued with his work.

"Uhhh, just wanted to know when Suki was planning on having her birthday party," Said Naruto as he dumped a pile of papers off one of the armchairs uncaringly and slouched down in their place. Sasuke glared a bit at the unnecessary mess but figured it was a lost cause anyway.

"Her birthday is next month, and the day after yours," Sasuke added. "How did you forget that?"

"I did NOT forget teme; she's my only God baby," Naruto huffed. " I just needed to know so that I could get started on her present."

Sasuke looked up from his work to stare at Naruto questioningly. "What do you need a month for dobe? You better not be getting her something stupid like a damn pony!"

"Relax it's not a pony. It's going to be homemade," Said Naruto secretively. "Oh, and Hinata wants to bake the cake again. She says she's got the perfect design for Suki this year,"

"Fine. Was that all?" he asked without interest. He slammed the book shut and tossed it into a pile near the floor. He let out a sigh and picked up another one.

Naruto watching him working wondering in awe how they guy could live doing one mountain of paperwork from the next. Give Naruto a stack of files and he'll flip, give them to Sasuke and watch them grow. Maybe that's why Sasuke isn't so keen on talking to people much; he spends so much time with himself, that human contact is troubling. Okay maybe that wasn't exactly the case but whatever, he needs to take a break once in a while.

"Do you ever, I mean _really_ _ever_ leave this office unless it's to go home?" said Naruto in an over exaggerated voice.

"Naruto, can't you see that I'm busy?" said Sasuke in an annoyed voice.

"Yeah, so busy that you just called me by my actual name. That proves that you spend too much time in here. All that stress isn't good for you. I would know," Said Naruto.

"You would know how to start stress is more like it," mumbled Sasuke.

"I'm serious. You ever hear of something called 'Stress related Injury'?" asked Naruto.

"I think it's pretty self-explanatory, but yeah I know what it is," said Sasuke briefly remembering Sakura say something about it a while ago.

"Okay then. You'd be surprised how many people I have in my sessions trying to recover from broken legs, arm, back, hips and junk from stressing out too much and hurting themselves. Take a break man, even you're not invincible,"

Sasuke figured that if he ignored Naruto long enough, he would eventually go away. Naruto, not liking the lack of attention sighed and stood up.

"Fine but seriously, loosen up sometime. Get out of the office once in a while," Said Naruto. Sasuke may be a bastard, but he was still his best friend. Naruto didn't want him to waste his life away behind a bunch of paper. Then there was Suki to think about. What affects Sasuke affected her too and the last thing she needed was to have Sasuke stressed out.

Naruto left Sasuke's office and headed toward the elevators. He pushed the button and waited. He really wished there was some way that Sasuke could get a life. He was wasting the best years of his life consumed in work and nothing good can come out of that for him and for Suki. Her grandparents were practically raising her and Naruto knew that somewhere down the line, Sasuke would regret not spending enough time with her, if he didn't already.

The elevator light blinked and the doors opened. Naruto stepped inside and the doors closed. He pushed for the third floor to go back to his station. He was lost in thought as the elevator went down.

He remembered the day back in college when Sasuke told him the he would be getting married. At first, Naruto freaked out because he didn't even know that Sasuke was dating anyone. Then he found out that it was an arranged marriage. Sasuke claiming that it was better than wasting time on dating really didn't sit well with Naruto but he supported him nonetheless. Sasuke was too much of an antisocial back then to even talk to girls, much less date them.

His wife wasn't all that bad. It was clear that they didn't love each other at all despite their appearances. Then she got pregnant and died in labor. Naruto was really troubled by the fact that even though the mother of his child just died, Sasuke seemed indifferent to it all. He really pitied the child, Suki, and had no idea how her life was going to turn out. Sasuke was a good man and a good father, but Naruto knew that someday, Suki was going to need a mother and that was all on Sasuke. Chances of that happening are slim to none considering her barricades himself in that office of his all-friggin day.

If only there was someone that Sasuke would accept. Someone that can turn his life around and be the wife he desires and mother that Suki deserves; the one person that can change their lives for the better.

Just then the elevator stopped on the 8th floor and the doors opened to reveal Sakura.

"Oh hi Naruto," she greeted as she stepped in. The doors closed and went back down.

"Hey Sakura," he returned. Over the past week, they had gotten to know each other better over the pediatrics department. Some of the kids that she was attending to needed therapy after injury and thus, she had to spend some time with Naruto in the Physical therapy room.

"Where are you coming from?" she asked.

"From teme's office," he answered.

"Oh…has he eaten anything?" she asked with interest. Naruto just looked at her kind of strangely before replying.

"…uhhh I don't know, why?" he asked. She just shrugged.

"Well, I told him to eat some lunch this afternoon when I ran into him. He told me he was planning on skipping and I just couldn't resist trying to coax him into eating. I even went so far as to bust out the whole "stress related injury" tidbit," she admitted.

"Same here! I don't think he's left his office for a while though. He's just swimming in a pool of books up there. It's pretty disastrous," he said before sighing. "I kind of wish he'd go home early or something. The guy can do whatever the hell he wants to and he decides to stay here until sundown wasting his life away,"

"I advised him to get a stress test done. He clearly needs one but of course he blatantly refused," she said sighing as well.

Naruto frowned before saying "He just needs to relax. If he doesn't do it for himself, then he should do it for Suki,"

At the mention of Sasuke's daughter, Sakura suddenly got the urge to go right up to Sasuke's office and demand that he take a stress test. Suki was a precious child that needed her father to be healthy. Suki reminded Sakura of herself as a young girl. She knew what it was like to grow up with only a father to take care of you and she didn't' want Sasuke's stress to ruin the bond that a father and daughter should have.

"You're right Naruto…he should," said Sakura as an idea popped into her head. She had some time, so she might as well do something about him.

* * *

**Back in Sasuke's office: Around 4 pm**

Sasuke sighed for the hundredth time today. He slumped in his chair and placed his head in his hands. The workload was _finally_ finished but there were still papers scattered here and there. He hadn't eaten all day was beginning to regret it. But he was so drained he just wanted to fall asleep right at his desk, when a knock on his door interrupted him.

He unwillingly got up to answer it. If someone had to knock, that meant his secretary had gone home for the day.

He opened the door and was surprised to see Sakura standing there in her pink scrubs and what appeared to be a lunchbox in her hands.

"I hope you're not busy because even if you are I'm still coming in thank youuuuuu!" she sang quickly as she quickly walked past him and into his office.

Sasuke just looked at her with a strange expression on his face.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" he asked exasperatedly. She just placed the lunch box down on his desk and turned to face him. The wall behind her was just a bunch of glass and the setting sun outlined her whole body in a warm orange glow. She smiled at him and looked around his office.

"Are you finished with your work?" she asked.

"Yeah…why?" he asked, still looking at her curiously.

"Because Naruto told me that you're a wreck and I'm here to insist that you get a stress test done…and eat something which is why I brought you this," she said as she pointed to the box on his desk.

"_Stupid Dobe"_ thought Sasuke. "Sakura, I appreciate your concern but don't take the dobe too seriously. And besides, don't you have patients to see?" he asked. She just looked at him.

"I'm concerned about you because I consider you my friend. Sure you're my boss but whatever, as your friend I'm insisting that you take a little more care of yourself. And don't bother arguing," she said as she noticed she was about to be interrupted.

"I've come with back up. I can always conveniently report to HR that your yearly physical is way overdue," she said with a grin. Sasuke just touched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"First the dobe, now you. I really do appreciate the concern but I'm perfectly fine SakurAHH" he said as she quickly shoved a piece of stir-fried beef and tomatoes into his mouth when she saw the opportunity.

He just glared at her for a bit before he started chewing and swallowed. He would admit his stomach felt a bit better and that stir-fry was really good. Sakura just laughed.

"Sorry, but I figured once you try my famous stir-fry, you wouldn't be able to resist it," she said while giving him the box, which he surprisingly took from her.

"…Thanks," he said as he walked back to his desk. He was a little stunned when she pulled out a bottle of tea from out of nowhere.

"You need something to wash it down," she said with a small smile. She sat down in the armchair Naruto was sitting on earlier. Sasuke began to eat her food.

"You made all this?" he asked.

"Yeah, I didn't really get to eat it today. There was a pretty nasty incident in the ER that kind of tied up most of my day so I just ate lunch in the Cafeteria. Is it good?" she asked.

He nodded. "You shouldn't have gone through all this," he said, making her sigh. Everyone seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

"Never mind that," she said. "You need a physical and a stress test. I'm telling you as a doctor, that you should get it done as soon as possible…and I'm using the kid card on you so do it for Suki if not for yourself,"

"If I say yes will you and Naruto get off my back?" he asked as he took another bite from the box. She looked at him and smiled.

"Well I can't guarantee anything from Naruto but, yes we will be happy and we'll stop popping in on you…maybe," she said.

"Fine, but not a word of this to any of the staff," he demanded.

"Okay…. but why? Not that I would leak out patient information but you said earlier that you didn't want to get a physical here. You never really answered me back then," she said.

"Long story and maybe one day Naruto will tell you against my will. But regardless of that, I'll do it here as long as you keep up your end of the deal," he said, giving her a pointed look.

"Oh and refresh my memory of that please," she said, rolling her eyes.

"You, Dr. Haruno will be my attending physician for that exam. Let's see how well you can multitask," he dared.

"Again, you challenge me Mr. Uchiha," she said while playing along. "When will you learn that when I'm challenged, I always rise to the occasion?" she asked.

"I'll learn after you've proven to me that I have stress issues. Only then will you be acknowledged by me," he said while finishing off the last of the stir-fry.

They talked a little more about random stuff. Sasuke was surprised to find that it was really easy to talk to her about anything. She had a pleasant aura surrounding her constantly and he found he liked when she smiled. What really intrigued him was that she wouldn't ogle him like most women do. She was approachable but demanding, and he liked that about her. What he probably liked the most about her was that she was a parent, just like him. So naturally, they talked about their kids.

"So are you definitely going to the recital tomorrow?" asked Sakura.

"I can't let my daughter perform without her biggest fan can I?" he asked. "By the way, are you going? Believe it or not, Suki's been asking about you,"

"She really wants me to go?" asked Sakura. "Well I hope I can. I'll certainly try to be there. Ino's daughter will be performing too and it would really bring back good memories,"

"You danced?" asked Sasuke.

She nodded. "Ino and I took ballet together way back in the day. It's been years since I've put on a pair of ballet shoes," she said, reminiscing. She looked at the clock and gasped. It was 4:20pm "_SORA!"_ she thought as she stood up abruptly.

"Oh no, I have to pick up Sora is 10 minutes!" she said as she started to leave Sasuke's office. "Let me know when you want to schedule the exam and we'll take it from there," she shouted as she shut the door behind her.

* * *

**Konoha Leaf Academy**

Sora was finished with his Karate club for today. So far, he had only managed to crack the small board a little but was nowhere near breaking it yet. His sensei, Lee was always an encouragement though.

Now he was waiting outside the school with Akio, who surprisingly decided to join the Karate club with him as well. When asked why, he said that it was better than watching his mom's ballet class for the rest of the day.

"Mommy's late," Sora noted. He and Akio had taken to just sitting around in front of the school. They were both in their Karate uniforms.

"…My dad's always late. I think it's because he takes too long to get here," said Akio. He looked up and noticed a car pull up. "Hey, is that your mom?" asked Akio. And sure enough Sakura came out of the car and ran up to them.

"Sorry sweetie," said Sakura as she came up to Sora to hug him. Sora was a little unenthusiastic about the hug but only because Akio was there. It's not manly to hug your mom in front of your friends.

"Am I really late?" asked Sakura as she bent down to eye level with Sora. Sora just shook his head no.

"It's ok," he said. Sakura smiled at him and then turned to Akio.

"Is your daddy picking you up Akio?" she asked.

"I think he is," Akio murmured. "I don't know. Last time he was supposed to pick me up, he forgot about it," Akio said casually.

"_For a five-year-old, he pretty nonchalant about the whole thing" _Sakura thought before saying "Let me call your mom," as she took a seat on the steps in between the boys.

"Hey Ino," said Sakura through the phone. "It's me. Hey isn't Shikamaru supposed to pick up Akio after school today?" she asked.

"_Well, yeah," _said Ino through the phone._ "Don't tell me he forgot. Is Akio still at school?" _

"Yeah, I just came to pick up Sora and I didn't want to leave him here," she said. "Do you just want me to drop him off at your studio?"

"_That would be a life saver Sakura. Thanks," _Said Ino.

"No problem. I'll see you later," said Sakura as she hung up her cell phone. "Well, looks like we're going to the studio. Get in the car boys,"

"Aww, I thought I was done with the studio," Whined Akio as both he as Sora got up and followed Sakura to the car.


	9. Memories of Nobody

**To Love and To Love Again Chapter 9: Memories of Nobody**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY! **

**Quickie NOTES: 'Memories of Nobody' is actually the title for the Bleach Movie called "Bleach Memories of Nobody". I thought that that particular title was very appropriate for this chapter and you'll find out why as you read it.**

* * *

**Saturday Morning at the Uchiha Estate**

It was nearing 7am. Sasuke was up and about as usual. He was standing outside his balcony sipping coffee and enjoying the quiet morning. He often wondered why he couldn't just stay in bed and sleep in like a regular person. As soon as it neared 5:30 AM, his body would just automatically awaken and refuse to let him go back to sleep. Not that he minded it. There was no point in staying asleep when you could be more productive awake.

He inhaled the fresh morning air and exhaled slowly. Today was Suki's recital and for once, it seemed like he would be able to go. The miracle of finishing his paper work yesterday helped lighten the weekend load.

He finished off his coffee and placed the mug on the side of the railing. He began to stretch in an effort to feel more relaxed. Ever since his little bet with Sakura, he had taken more steps to try to calm down. He would prove to both Sakura and Naruto that he was perfectly fine. He knew they meant well, but their pestering was getting annoying.

A light morning breeze felt good against his bare chest. He was wearing only his black sweat pants. It was still September so the weather was still on the hot side. After stretching, he took the mug and walked back into his room before making his way downstairs.

He left the mug in the sink and then made his way over to the living room to watch the morning news. The living room was rather large and had two black leather couches with a glass coffee table in the center. There was a large flat screen TV mounted on the wall in front of the couches and over the fireplace. He flipped the TV on and searched the channels for the morning news.

He watched for about two hours before he went off to his home gym to get in a good work out. The gym was actually the downstairs lounge area that was converted into a workout room with all his exercise equipment there. Sasuke maintained his physic nicely.

He hated weakness and would in no way permit himself to be weak in any sense and that mostly pertained to his emotional side. But his body was also something that he wanted to keep strong.

Still clad in only his black sweatpants, he began his regular routine, which consisted of running on the treadmill, lifting weights and then doing some push-ups and sit-ups. Naruto also saw fit to give him a punching bag as a birthday gift last year. Sasuke rarely used it but nonetheless, he hung it up in the corner of the room.

After working out for almost two more hours, Sasuke ceased his activities and went back upstairs to jump into the shower. He was completely covered in sweat, a sign that he did indeed get a thorough work out.

After he finished showering, he got dressed in gray sweat pants and white T-shirt. Glancing at the clock, he figured it was about time to go and wake up Suki. If left alone, she could sleep for a whole day. He left his room and walked down the hall.

Sasuke walked into Suki's room and knelt beside her bed. She was currently snuggled up in the corner with her stuffed pig Tonton secure in between her arms. She had the most serene expression on her face as if she were having a really good dream.

Sasuke sort of admired her ability to just sleep all day. Suki had very little to worry about in life and could enjoy a peaceful nights rest without worrying about the troubles of tomorrow. She made sleeping look like such a luxury. Sasuke gently shook her awake.

She stirred for a bit and then opened one sleepy eye at him.

"(_Yawn)_…Hi daddy." She said while rubbing her eyes.

"Time to get up Tenshi," Sasuke said, smoothing out her hair. Suki just yawned some more and got up from her bed. She then left to go to the bathroom down the hall. Just then, Sasuke heard the doorbell ring.

As he went down the stairs, he could see from the windows lining the high points of the wall that it was Itachi that was outside. He opened the door and stepped aside to let him in.

"Sasuke," Itachi greeted as he walked in. He was wearing a black leather jacket that went down to about his knees with a red button down shirt underneath. He was also wearing dark blue jeans and black shoes.

"Itachi," Said Sasuke. Sasuke and Itachi didn't really have a strained relationship per say. Itachi was older that Sasuke by about five years. Growing up with him in general was a little difficult with the significant age gap.

They were good to each other or at least civil for the most part. Itachi was very calm and reserved around most people. Other times he could be just a little on the dry and humorous side. He was a complete turnaround when he spent time with Suki. It was like someone flipped on the happy switch in him. Itachi also had a strained relationship with their father Fugaku Uchiha, head of the Uchiha family.

For the most part, Itachi and Fugaku disagreed greatly on a number of things. The major issue was what he was going to do for the rest of his life. Initially, Itachi was supposed to inherit the position as CEO of KMC. In order to do this, however, Itachi had to get married first.

Needless to say he refused to the terms of agreement and the position was passed down to Sasuke. Itachi really didn't care for marriage or the position. He ventured out into the world of Law and Criminal Justice. He became a member of a top-secret detective agency called Akatsuki. What exactly they did was a mystery to Sasuke. All he knew was that they were some elite members of the police force.

"Are you going to make it tonight?" asked Sasuke. He was of course referring to Suki's recital.

"I promised her didn't I?" he asked while walking into the kitchen. Sasuke closed the door and followed him.

"You need a woman," Itachi said in a very blunt voice. That took Sasuke by an annoyed surprise.

"Look who's talking," Sasuke returned. Itachi was never attached to any woman, at least none that Sasuke knew about. A comment like that coming from Itachi was just strange. He was never one to care for other people's love lives.

"I don't have a child to think about. You on the other hand…" he said as he looked around the place, "…you require a woman," he said strangely. Itachi took a really good look around the place. The house was pretty modern, with absolutely no feminine touch.

"What are you doing here Itachi?" Sasuke asked in an annoyed voice. Having him randomly come over to tell him something he already knew was not the best way to spend a Saturday morning.

"Why do you always ask me that? Can't a man stop by to see his little brother and beloved niece for no reason at all? Is Suki awake?" he asked.

"She just woke up. Why?" asked Sasuke.

"I have a gift for her," he answered.

Sasuke just sighed. He'll never be able to figure out Itachi. The only time Sasuke has seen Itachi break loose was when he was around Suki. It was like Suki brought out his…slightly nice side. Speaking of Suki…

"Uncle Itachi!" she screamed as she ran down the stairs in her princess pajamas and up to her Uncle.

"Suki!" said Itachi as he picked her up. "I got something for you," he said as he put her down on the counter and pulled out a small box from his shirt pocket. He placed it in her hand.

Suki unwrapped the red paper and opened the box. Her face light up with excitement as she pulled out a small silver bracelet.

"Ohhhh pretty," She said in awe.

"It's has your name on it," Itachi said as he pointed to the flat silver plate. Engraved on it was her name, which Itachi read out loud "_**Suki Uchiha". **_She just giggled at that.

"Suki, what do you say to your uncle?" said Sasuke. Suki smiled and hugged Itachi.

"Thank you Uncle Itachi," She said, while her voice was slightly muffled in his shirt.

"Anything for you," said Itachi. "You can wear it tonight for you recital,"

"Okay" she said. She then turned to Sasuke. "Daddy I'm hungry," She said while pouting a little. Sasuke looked at the clock. It was almost 12 o'clock.

"Hn, it's time for lunch. Get ready and well go eat out somewhere," Said Sasuke. Suki turned to Itachi.

"Can you come Uncle Itachi?" she asked innocently.

"…. Well I don't know," he said teasingly. It was enough to make her plead with him.

"Please please please please with Ketchup on top please please please," She begged while lacing her fingers together. Add the puppy dog eyes and Itachi is down.

Itachi chuckled. "Alright,"

Sasuke just sighed again. "_Those eyes are a super power,"_ he thought.

* * *

**Sakura's POV**:

Sakura was in the kitchen putting away the last of the dishes into the cabinets. It's been over a week since she and Sora have moved into the condo and almost everything has been unpacked from the boxes and stored into their proper places.

Sakura stretched a bit, trying to relax her muscles from all the unpacking. It was late Saturday morning and to her delight she had no patients scheduled today. She was wearing her favorite drawstring black shorts and an oversized white t-shirt. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun.

She left the kitchen and went into the living room where Sora was sitting on the couch watching the last of his favorite Saturday morning cartoons. He was still in his pajamas as well. Sakura walked up and slumped onto the couch with him. It was nearing lunchtime and frankly, after all that unpacking, she did not want to dirty up any dishes by cooking.

"What do you want for lunch? We can go out today if you want," she said as she messed with his morning hair a bit. Sora looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I want Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pizza/ Pancake thingy)," he answered. Sakura smiled. It was his favorite food, not to mention his father's favorite fast food. She shouldn't have even bothered asking.

"Okay then, let's go get ready," She said, as she got off the couch to head upstairs. Sora followed her and went to his room. Twenty minutes later, they were both ready and out the door.

Sakura was wearing a beige jacket with a white top underneath and a black knee length skirt. She left her hair down. Sora was wearing a red t-shirt with his favorite ninja cartoon characters on it, and a pair of black pants and sneakers.

Together they got in the car and left to go into the shopping district of Tokyo. Sakura parked into a public parking area and the two of them stepped out to go and walk the rest of the way. They found a pretty good Okonomiyaki restaurant next to a fun looking place called Ichiraku's.

"This looks like a good place," she noted as she held the door for Sora. The smell of the place was amazing. There were a bunch of tables around with a salad bar in one corner and the pizza making side on the other. It seemed like you can watch as your dish was being made.

Sakura and Sora both walked up to the counter and looked at the menu. The man at the counter greeted them and asked what they would like. They both ordered their favorite kinds.

"Let's find a table," she said looking around.

"Can I stay here?" asked Sora as he stood on his tiptoes trying to watch the grilling process. He was just a little shorter that the countertop. Sakura laughed and ruffled his hair a bit. She picked him up and placed him on the counter top so that he could see what was going on. They heard the door to the restaurant door open again but didn't turn around to see, until they heard a familiar voice calling out to them.

"Sora!" They both turned around to find none other than Suki Uchiha walking towards them in her little blue sundress with Sasuke and another man following close behind.

"Sakura," Sasuke said as he and a man that looked like him stood by each other.

"Hi Sasuke," She greeted taking a quick look at his overall appearance. It was the first time she had seen him in anything but a business suit. He was wearing a dark blue long sleeves shirt with black pants. Simple but sophisticated. She then turned her attention to the man standing next to him. He had a more…secretive appearance than Sasuke.

"Hello. I'm Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's older brother," He said while extending his hand to her. She took his hand and shook it.

"Oh…hi," She said cheerfully. "So you guys decided on eating out today too?" she asked. She noticed that Suki was also trying to see above the counter but was failing miserably. Sakura picked her up from behind and placed her on the counter top with Sora.

"There you go sweetie," Said Sakura. Suki smiled and turned her attention to the grill.

"Today seemed appropriate to eat out. My precious niece insisted that we eat here today," said Itachi as he eyed her up and down; she certainly was beautiful. His attention turned to the kids on the counter. Suki was watching the food while another boy, presumably Sakura's son, was focused on them.

Sora, who was once preoccupied with the Okonomiyaki, was now silently watching what was going on between his mom and the Uchiha brothers. He remembered seeing Itachi the other day at school. He immediately caught Itachi's attention.

"_Interesting," _thought Itachi as he got a really good look at the boy. From his hair color to his general appearance, he was very reminiscent of a young Sasuke. Itachi's trained detective eyes noticed that he was slightly scowling in Sasuke's direction.

"So will you be able to make it to the recital tonight?" asked Sasuke.

"Yeah it's looking that way. I'm looking forward to it," she responded. The man at the grill called her over to pick up her order.

"Are you guys going to be staying here to eat? You can sit with us if you like," she offered politely.

"Thank you Sakura. We'll join you soon," said Itachi. Sakura took Sora off the counter and grabbed their orders. The two of them went to grab a booth near the windows since they would be eating with the Uchihas'.

Sakura didn't fail to notice that Sora didn't seem all too happy with the invite earlier but decided that it was just a phase. Clearly there was something he didn't like about Sasuke but what it was is just a mystery until he told her otherwise.

Sasuke and the others came by a few minutes later. Itachi wanted to know more about their relationship to each other. It's not every day that Sasuke willingly agrees to sit with anyone, a woman especially. Maybe his little brother is working on finding a woman after all.

"How do you two know each other?" asked Itachi while cutting into his dish.

"I'm a doctor at Konoha Medical. I just started working this week," Sakura answered. Itachi nodded his head in understanding. "The funny thing is though, is that we seem to be more connected through our friends than through work," she added.

"Oh? How so?" asked Itachi. Sasuke answered this time.

"It's more or less through Neji and Shikamaru's wives," he said. "Tenten was actually the one who referred her to us," He said as he took a sip of his water.

"I see," Itachi replied. "What's your specialty?" he asked as he faced Sakura.

"Obstetrics and pediatrics," She said.

"_How fitting,"_ he thought.

"Where did you go to school?" he asked with interest.

"Tokyo U and Kyoto Institute simultaneously," she said.

"_No older than Sasuke yet she has a child this early in her medical Career" Itachi_ thought.

"And your son, he attends Konoha Leaf Academy with Suki does he not?" said Itachi while looking over at Sora.

"Well…yes. How did you know?" she asked.

"I saw him there the other day when I dropped my niece off," Itachi answered.

"Oh," she said. "_Itachi certainly is observant_," thought Sakura.

Itachi proceeded to ask more random questions about where they live, where they used to live, why they moved here and such. Sasuke was getting annoyed at the questions Itachi was giving Sakura, even though the answers intrigued him, so he decided to cut it short.

"I apologize for the questions. Itachi is a detective, he can't help himself," Said Sasuke while turning to Itachi to give him a warning look.

"It's really no problem," Sakura said with a smile.

"Are you two dating?" asked Itachi. The kids stopped eating and turned to look at their parents; Suki's eyes hopeful and Sora's eyes on super glare mode. Sasuke on the other hand sort of choked on his food and Sakura almost spilled her drink.

"NO…. I mean…no it's not like that," said Sakura. "I mean we've only known each other for a week and… we don't have that kind of relationship." She said hurriedly.

"_Yet,"_ Itachi thought.

"Enough with the questions Itachi!" said Sasuke. He was really pushing it.

"My apologies," he said. "I guess you're married then," he said while looking at Sakura. She didn't really know what to say at that point.

"Um…" she started.

"Itachi, enough!" said Sasuke sternly. "_What the hell is he trying to prove?" _Itachi just sat there as if nothing happened. He quickly glanced at the kids. Suki looked disappointed and Sora…. still glared. Itachi got what he needed to know.

"Well," said Itachi as he stood up. "I've got some work to do so I think I'll take this to go." He said as he picked up his dish.

"But uncle Itachi," said Suki.

"Next time I promise," He said ruffling her hair and turned to Sakura. "I really do apologize for the questioning," He said. Suki pouted but decided not to make a fuss. After he was gone, Sasuke turned to Sakura. She was just staring at her food.

"Again I apologize for his behavior," He said. "My brother's just too much at times,"

"It's okay," She said. The tension slowly disappeared as everyone continued eating. Sasuke and Sakura were talking about work stuff and the kids were just eating and talking to each other. Suki turned to Sora and brought up the recital.

"Is your Mommy coming to watch the recital today?" she asked.

"I think so," he said while finishing off his Okonomiyaki. Suki's mood seemed to lift after knowing that his mom was coming. Suki told him the she really like his mom for a lot of reasons. Most of them had to do with her being a pretty and nice lady. She also mentioned that her eyes were the same as Sakura's, which was very true.

"I'm happy that you get to come Onii Chan," she whispered. She looked happy and excited. Sora felt better knowing that she was happy. She really was special to him. It was almost like they really were brother and sister.

"Me too," he answered. He looked over at his mom and Suki's dad talking about boring grown up stuff. Sora really took a good look at Sasuke's face. There was just something about him that made Sora feel strange and very…familiar.

Just then, Sora had a very vague memory.

_Someone was playing with him by bouncing him up and down. He couldn't quite remember the person's face, but for some odd reason, looking at Sasuke made him think about that. It kind of looked like him._

"Sora!" said Sakura in a raised voice. He was just spacing out and starring at Sasuke, only this time he wasn't glaring. She became concerned.

"Are you okay?" asked Sakura. Sora blinked his eyes for a bit and nodded his head. Sakura reached for his forehead to feel his temperature. He felt fine.

"You sure?" she asked. She looked worried and Sasuke looked a little confused. Suki was looking at him with worried eyes too.

"I'm okay," Sora said. Sakura let it slide but made a mental note to keep an eye on him for the rest of the day.

"Okay then," she said. Everyone was just about done eating at this point.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Said Suki. Now usually this wasn't a problem for Sasuke because every time he and Suki would go out, his parents were with him, which meant that his mother would take her to the restroom. But now…

"Let's go then," said Sakura without a second thought. Relief filled his body as she got up with Suki.

"Thanks," said Sasuke as he slid out of the booth to let them out.

"No problem," she said as she and Suki lid out of the booth. Sakura turned to Sora. "I'll be back soon sweetie, be good," Said Sakura as she and Suki walked to the bathroom together.

That left Sora and Sasuke…alone…without Sakura. Sasuke felt awkward, mostly because Sora was looking at him again with a half glare half stare thing going on. Seriously what was his problem? A couple of minutes passed before Sasuke finally decided to break the ice.

"So, Sora," said Sasuke. "…How's school?" asked Sasuke. That was a pretty safe question right? Sora answered quietly.

"Fine" he said.

"Good," Said Sasuke. "Do you like school?" he asked.

"Yes" Said Sora.

"…what do you like about it?" asked Sasuke.

"Art…and Karate," He said.

"You want to be an artist when you grow up?" Sasuke continued.

"Mommy said that my _Dad _was an artist," Said Sora stressing the word Dad.

"…Really?" said Sasuke. He recalled that Sakura never really did say what her late husband did for a living.

"Did you play with me when I was little?" asked Sora out of the blue. Sasuke looked surprised.

"First of all, you're still little," said Sasuke as Sora scowled. "And second of all, I never played with you when you were smaller because I never met you before this week," Sora just listened to him.

"Why do you ask?" asked Sasuke. Sora didn't answer him. He just looked away from Sasuke a little embarrassed. He saw his mom and Suki coming back from the bathroom hand in hand.

"We're back. How was everything here?" asked Sakura. Sasuke got up to let them slide back into their seats. Sora didn't say anything. He was just looking down at his hands with a spaced out expression on his face.

"Sora?" she asked. He looked up at her, and then he turned to Sasuke. Again, he had a very hazy memory of his mom and someone else next to her smiling at him. It was only for a few seconds but it still confused Sora. Why was he thinking about all this stuff?

"Are you sure you're okay sweetie?" said Sakura. This was starting to get to her. He never spaced out like this before. He felt fine, but he was obviously troubled by something.

"Uh huh," He said softly. Sakura didn't believe him but decided to talk to him about it later. She turned to Sasuke.

"So what are you two going to be doing for the rest of today?" she asked. Sasuke noticed that she was still thinking about Sora's behavior by the way her eyes had a half full appearance. He also wanted to know what was going on in that kids head.

"Well, it's around 1:30 right now. The recital starts at 6pm tonight. I'll be dropping Suki off at the Nara's to get ready. I have some business to attend to today so after that's done I'll be heading off to the theater to watch," he answered.

"Well then I better get my shopping done soon," She said. She looked over at Suki and smiled at her.

"You do your best tonight alright?" said Sakura. Suki smiled at her and nodded her head.

"Can you sit next to my Daddy?" she asked innocently. Sasuke coughed a little and Sakura looked a bit surprised but laughed it off.

"…Uhh…Okay," She said as she shifted in her seat a bit.

"That way I can see you when I'm dancing," Suki continued. "My daddy likes to sit in the front so I can see him and I put lots of glitter on my wings so that he can see me too!" she said excitedly.

"Sure sweetie. Although I'm sure you can see me from anywhere with my hair," Said Sakura. Sasuke tried not to smirk at that comment but failed. It was true; anyone can spot her from a mile away. Her hair color was just so unique.

"Well, we should get going then. Looks like I'll have to be quick with my shopping," She said while she scooted out of the booth. Sora scooted out too and stood next to her.

"Do you have directions to theater?" asked Sasuke.

"Yeah, Ino told me exactly where it is," Said Sakura. "By the way, what's the dress code for attending these recitals?" she asked.

"Semi-formal to formal," he answered. Sakura nodded her head in understanding. Sasuke got out of the booth too followed by Suki. The four of them walked out of the Okonomiyaki shop together. They stopped just outside the store.

"Naruto and Hinata will be coming too," said Sasuke. "After he does anything, the Dobe usually drags us all to Ichirakus for Ramen. It's that restaurant right there." He said while pointing to the place next the Okonomiyaki shop. "Just thought you should know," He added, making her laugh.

"Okay. Thanks for the info," She lowered herself to Suki's level, which was pretty low, and smiled at her. "I'll be rooting for you and Akira tonight okay?" she said.

"Okay," Said Suki with an adorable smile. It was a smile that made Suki look so cute that Sakura just wanted to hug the life out of her. Suki reminded Sakura of a bubbly girl version of Sora. The two certainly had their similarities.

"So well see you guys later then," Said Sakura as she got up. Sasuke nodded his head.

"Yeah," said Sasuke.

"Bye Sora," Said Suki.

"Bye," said Sora. He gave Sasuke one last look before reaching for Sakura's hand and walked away with her.

Sasuke and Suki just stood there and watched them walk away. Then he turned to Suki.

"Let go too," He said. He picked her up and together they walked in the opposite direction to finish their errands.

* * *

**Later that night… **

Sakura had just finished blow-drying her hair. The recital started in about an hour which gave her just over twenty minutes to finish getting ready. Sora was already dressed and in his room drawing again.

Sakura applied a light amount of make up to her eyes and lips. She then placed two simple white clips on either side of her head to give her a half up kind of look. She had bought a new dress today while she was out shopping. Sora said he liked it. It was a fairly simple black form-fitting tube top dress that stopped just above her knees. For some added modesty, she also wore a slivery gray full-sleeved cardigan as well.

She also wore a very beautiful but very simple silver locket. When you open it up, you'll find a picture of Sora when he was a newborn. She finished the look with some teardrop shaped pearl earrings.

After she stepped in her simple black heel-less shoes, she picked up her purse and went into Sora's room.

"Sweetie it's time to go," she said as she entered his room. He was sitting at his desk wearing a pair of nice black dress pants and a white button up shirt. He wore a black tie against his will; Sakura insisted that he look just a little bit formal. He finished his drawings and looked up at his mom.

"Okay," he said. He tore two drawings out from his sketchpad and walked out of the room with Sakura. After they went outside, Sakura locked the door and then the two of them got into the car are drove off.

**Theater of Arts: Upscale Tokyo: around 5:45 PM.**

Backstage was pretty busy as all the mothers were busy putting the final touches on their daughter's right before their performance. There were three performances tonight with three different dance schools. Ino's group would be going last.

Suki and Akira were in one corner getting their wings on. They were wearing their costume which consisted of light pink and white leotards and fluffy too toos as well as their golden wings. They all wore light pink ballet slippers as well. Ino was with them.

"Okay girls, you're going to do great tonight," Ino praised. Akira looked excited while Suki was just staring at everyone else; well, everyone and their moms. Again she felt the familiar sting of not having a mom of her own to help her get ready before a dance.

Ino noticed this and could help but feel down. The poor girl was suffering and there was nothing that she could do about it. Ino always tried to help Suki out, as a mother should along with her own daughter but it wasn't the same. Akira and Suki were best friends after all, just like Ino and Sakura were best friends when they were their age.

Speaking of Sakura, she just so happened to walk into the backstage area and looked around. She and Sora had arrived moments before and ran into Sasuke.

Sakura told him that she wanted to see the girls before the show. Sasuke agreed to save her a seat next to him along with Sora, who didn't glare as much anymore but replaced them with awkward stares. Sakura had bought the girls little gifts for tonight's performances while she was out shopping earlier today and wanted to give it to them before the show.

"Hey Ino," said Sakura. Ino turned around and hugged her.

"Hey Sakura, what are you doing here backstage?" she asked.

"Well I have little something for our two little ballerinas here," she said as she knelt down to Suki and Akira's level. She pulled out two small neatly wrapped boxes out of her purse and handed one to each girl.

"Thank you Aunty Sakura," they said in unison. They opened their boxes to reveal two small silver chains with small pendants of ballerina shoes on them. The girls loved it.

"So pretty…" said Suki. Ino was helping Akira put the necklace on.

"Here let me put that on for you sweetie," said Sakura as she took the chain and placed it around Suki's neck. After she was done, Suki turned around and faced Sakura. "Thank you" she said again.

"You're welcome sweetie. I remember when I used to dance like you did," she said, nodding when Suki looked surprised. "My daddy gave me a necklace just like that one when I was your age. He said that only princess get to wear this necklace. Now it's your turn to be the princess," she said before looking over her appearance. "Oh wait your hairs a little messed up, let me fix it for you," she said as she removed the hair clip and began to finger brush Suki's hair.

Suki's spirits felt lifted. Having Sakura there made her feel like all the other girls here with a mom. It was a nice feeling and Suki didn't want to lose it. Sakura made Suki feel just a little bit more special. She really felt like she was connected to her. Suki couldn't help it, she lunged at Sakura, who was still kneeling down, and hugged her. Luckily she was done with fixing her hair by now.

Sakura stumbled back a bit but regained her composure. She laughed as Suki clung on to her and she wrapped her arms around Suki in a tight hug.

"Oh you're so sweet," Said Sakura as she stroked Suki's hair. Ino watched the two of them. She had never seen Suki look so happy before. It was like Sakura was already her mother. They were certainly similar in a lot of ways; their eyes being the most noticeable thing. But now that Ino really thought about it, Suki was very much like Sakura as a child. They both had the same innocent bubbly personality and warm smile. The only thing Suki lacked was Sakura's temper. Ino wondered why she didn't notice it before.

Sakura and Suki separated from the hug.

"Okay Suki," Said Sakura. "I'll be sitting right next to your daddy and Sora just like you wanted. Good luck tonight, both of you," she said as she turned to Akira too. She hugged and kissed them both before leaving to go sit in the audience.

Back in the audience, Itachi, Naruto and Hinata, Sasuke, Sora, Akio and Shikamaru were all seated in the front row, courtesy of Ino. They had the perfect view of the stage. There was an empty seat in between Sasuke and Sora that was saved for Sakura when she got back. Sora was talking to Akio who was sitting next to him. At least he wasn't glaring at Sasuke this time. Sakura came out from the side of the stage and walked down and sat in the empty space between Sasuke and Sora.

"They're so cute," said Sakura as she took her seat.

"How was Suki doing?" asked Sasuke. He was wearing black slacks and a really nice gray shirt with a black coat over it. He didn't wear a tie so overall he looked more business casual that business professional.

"She's doing just fine. Don't tell Ino I said this but…" she dropped her voice to a whisper," Suki's the cutest one back there…but Akira's a close second," She said while silently giggling.

Sasuke smirked.

"She's _my_ daughter after all," he said with mock arrogance in his voice. Sakura laughed.

"I think she's way too cute to be your daughter. You don't strike me as the outgoing energetic type," Said Sakura.

"And you don't strike as the annoying type but…you could rival the Dobe," He said. Sakura gasped and playfully punched him in the arm. Sasuke kept his face straight indicating that the punch was pathetic, but the inside of his mind was saying something else.

"_How can someone that small, punch like that?"_ he thought. His arm was a little sore now; it just might bruise. Just by looking at her, you would never think that someone so petite would be able to throw a decent punch. And that one was supposed to be playful too.

"Hey Sakura, is that Teme talking about me?" shouted Naruto from down the row. Several heads turned in their direction at Naruto's outburst. Hinata slide lower in her seat while Sakura 'shushed' him and Sasuke just muttered "Dobe".

Sora snickered at Naruto's outburst. He was a pretty funny guy in Sora's opinion. Just then, the lights dimmed and the light shinned on the stage with the curtains closed. Ino stepped onto the stage and held on to a microphone.

"Good evening everyone. Tonight we have three very special performances. Let's bring out our first group." Said Ino as she stepped down the stage and took her seat next to Shikamaru. The curtains rose and the first group of girls began their performance.

After the first two groups finished their performances, it was time for Suki and Akira's group. The curtains rose and there on the stage stood Ino's class with Suki and Akira in the front of the group. Suki's wings were also noticeably glitterier than the others. She wasn't kidding when she said she would go overboard with the glitter.

* * *

_**Suki's POV:**_

Normally right before a performance, Suki would be really excited. But now she was nervous. This time, Sakura would be watching her as well as Sora. She really wanted to do her best and impress them. She wanted to show Sakura that she could be a princess just like her. Not only that, but this was the first show that her Daddy had been to in a while. He wasn't able to go to the last couple of performances due to work.

The curtains rose and the shining lights blinded Suki for a moment before she regained her vision. She quickly scanned the front row and found her friends and family. Itachi was smiling at her while Naruto started waving at her like crazy. Sora waved briefly and then there was her dad with Sakura right next to him.

Sasuke and Sakura both smiled at her. Sakura waved at her with her fingers and Sasuke gave her thumbs up. By looking at the two of them, Suki felt like more confident. The music started and the girls began to do their dances.

The girls posed after their final dance step and the music ended. The audience all cheered and applauded. Some people were even throwing flowers onto the stage. The curtains closed and the audience started to rise from their seats.

Ino went backstage to help the girls change out of their costumes. Everyone else had just decided to hang out around the stage until the girls came back.

"So Sasuke, Sakura…you guys decided to color coordinate or something?" asked Naruto as he pointed to the two of them. Everyone else looked at them to and knew what Naruto meant.

"Oh," said Sakura while looking at their outfits more closely. They were both wearing Gray and Black. "I guess we do kind of match," she said.

"I think it looks better on you Sakura," said Itachi. He was wearing a black coat with a red shirt underneath and beige pants. He looked less "detective-like" in that outfit.

"Thank you," said Sakura modestly while blushing a bit. She thought that gray actually suited Sasuke better. With the rest of his outfit being black, the gray was a nice mediator and it really brought out the darkness of his eyes…not that she noticed before when it was all dark.

Sora and Akio were sitting up on the stage and swinging their legs off the edge while watching the grown up talk. Sora himself didn't notice that Sasuke and his mom matched until Naruto brought it up. It made the look like they were together, which didn't please him at all.

Sora looked over at Itachi who was standing right next to him while leaning on the stage. Itachi and Sasuke looked alike, but they were different. Sora had seen Itachi earlier today but it was only when he saw Sasuke did he start to have those weird daydreams.

"Daddy!" came two voices from down below. Sora turned his head and saw Suki and Akira running down towards them with Ino walking behind them. Akira ran right up to Shikamaru, who actually wasted no time in picking her up and putting her on his shoulders.

Suki ran to Sasuke, who also picked her up. Suki had changed out of her costume and into a white cotton sundress with a small dark red sweater over it. The bracelet Itachi gave her was on her wrist and the necklace that Sakura gave her was dangling from her neck.

"Daddy look at my necklace?" she said while grasping it and putting it right in front of his face. Sasuke took a hold of the small chain and saw that there were silver ballerina shoes as a pendant on it.

"Who gave that to you Suki?" he asked. Suki pointed to Sakura who was standing near them.

"And you deserve it too after dancing so well tonight," said Sakura as she came up to them. "Now you can say that you're a princess of ballet…and you and Akira have matching necklaces just like me an Ino used to," She said with a smile. Suki's smile couldn't get any bigger.

Sasuke just looked at Sakura as she took hold of the necklace around Suki's neck .He could smell her perfume from being so close to her. It was a nice simple smell of white cherry blossoms.

Itachi observed the scene before him. Sakura was a good woman. She was clearly someone of high spirits and an excellent doctor with an impressive track record as the prodigy of world renowned Physician Dr. Tsunade. Sasuke seemed to think well of her, considering he didn't mind talking to her. And anyone with eyes can see that Suki absolutely adored Sakura.

Seeing his brother and niece with Sakura just seemed so right. Although it's still too early to tell, Itachi knew that it was only a matter of time before his little brother and the doctor became closer. He could just see it coming and the best thing that could ever come out of that would-be connection is Suki's happiness.

He hadn't seen Suki smile so much for a while. Having a mother like Sakura would be the best thing for her as well as Sasuke. But there was still one big obvious obstacle that could stop that from happening and it was sitting right next to him on the stage, starring at the three with an unreadable expression.

Sakura's Son…Sora Arisugaki.

* * *

**Sora's POV: **

"_Mommy's talking to him again,"_ he thought as he watched them. Suki was showing of her new necklace to her dad. She seemed extra happy to have his mom around and he couldn't blame her…his mom was the best.

He liked that Suki liked her. He considered her his sister so he didn't mind sharing his mother with Suki. But now, looking at Sasuke, Sora couldn't help but think about something else.

_He was crawling on the floor…there was someone ahead of him….he couldn't see who it was….all wanted was to reach that person…he was almost there…..he made it…the man picked him up and bounced him around….the man had dark hair….and that was it…_

That was the third time today that Sora had these weird thoughts and they all happened when he saw Sasuke. Who was this person that he was remembering and why did it only happen around Sasuke? Why was he remembering nobody?

Itachi was observing him closely. The kid had a dazed look on his face for a few seconds while starring at Sasuke. Then it was like he snapped back to reality. Confusion was clearly written all over his face. The question here is what was he thinking about? His mind started to process the possibilities before they were interrupted.

All thoughts were put on hold as Naruto took Suki from Sasuke and shouted for attention.

"Ok guys," said Naruto over the commotion. "You all know the drill. Ichiraku's here we come!" he shouted as Suki cheered with him.

Ichiraku's was a fun restaurant and bar area that was both kid friendly and entertaining. Naruto was obviously a regular here on account that the manager knew him by name. Naruto asked for a booth to accommodate all eleven of them. He usually sat at the bar when he was by himself or when he was with Hinata. Everyone had a good time there for about an hour and half.

Everyone had finished eating at this point. Sora and Akio were having mini chopstick fight under the table, but that was before Sakura and Ino scolded them for it and took it away from them. Suki and Akira looked a little tired out. They did have a pretty exhausting day after all.

"Looks like someone needs to go to bed," said Sakura as she looked at Suki who was yawning. Sasuke looked at his watch. It was around 9:30.

"Yeah," he said. "She's not the only one," said Sasuke as he looked over at Sora who had ceased his chopstick battle with Akio and was now rubbing his eyes to stay awake.

"I guess it's time to go then," said Sakura as she began to rise from the booth. "Come on Sora, time to go home," She said. Sora slid out from the booth.

"So when can we hang out Forehead? We still got a lot of catching up to do," Said Ino, who was holding a sleeping Akira in her lap.

"I don't know," said Sakura. "I'll call you tomorrow and we can take it from there. I'll ask Tenten too. Hinata," said Sakura as she turned her head to her. "You too, we can all hang out together. That is if anyone of us can find the time," She said.

"That sounds nice Sakura," Said Hinata.

"Yeah," said Ino. "It'll be nice to spend some time with adults. Don't get me wrong I love the kids and my ballet class and everything, but I'm tired of looking down. They're all so short these days," Said Ino with a laugh.

"Of course they're short Ino, they're five," Said Sakura. Sasuke, Itachi and Suki got up. Itachi was carrying Suki, who was barely awake by now.

"You guys leaving too?" asked Naruto. Shikamaru and Ino also began to get up from the table while carrying their kids. "Everyone's ditching me!" cried Naruto.

"I'm not leaving you Naruto," Said Hinata soothed.

"That's because you married him," said Ino. "And besides Naruto, we're the ones with kids here," She said indicating the four short people in the group.

"Fine fine, go to bed early on a Saturday night," he said sarcastically. "Me and my wife here are going to enjoy happy hour for a bit longer," He said while placing his arm around Hinata.

"You guys are so cute together," said Sakura.

"The honeymoons got to end sometime right?" said Ino. They both laughed. After wishing Naruto and Hinata goodnight, everyone else began to leave the restaurant.

"Call me later forehead girl," said Ino as she gave Sakura a quick hug. "I'm glad you came out today." She said.

"Me too. It reminded me of our dancing days," Said Sakura.

Ino and Shikamaru left to go to their car while Sakura, Sora, Sasuke, Itachi and Suki still stood outside the restaurant. Sakura picked Sora up so that he can rest a bit. He was literally falling asleep while standing.

She went over to Itachi, who was holding Suki.

"Hi sweetie, you did a great job tonight," said Sakura to the sleepy Suki.

"I'm a princess now… (Yawn)…right?" asked Suki.

"Right. Goodnight Suki," said Sakura as Suki closed her eyes.

"I'll take her to the car," Itachi offered as he walked away with Suki fast asleep in his arms. Sora was trying hard to stay awake. Sakura was holding him on her side while caressing his head. It was only making him fall asleep faster. Soon he became too tired to even keep his eyes open.

"So Sasuke," said Sakura while looking at him. "Can I expect you around 2pm tomorrow at the clinic?" asked Sakura.

Sasuke starred at her for a while in confusion before it dawned on him on what she was talking about.

"My stress test right?" he asked while tilting his head to the side. "So you haven't given up on that yet." He said.

"No and I'll pester you till you crack so you better get it done soon. I'll call Naruto for backup if I have too," She said.

Sasuke chuckled a bit. "2pm it is then Dr. Haruno. Let's see what you can do," he said smirking.

"_This late at night and he still finds the time to smirk?"_ she thought. She would wipe that smirk clean of his face during the exam tomorrow.

"I look forward to it Mr. Uchiha. Brace yourself for the truth. They say it hurts," She said. Sora shifted in her arms. She readjusted him and then planted a kiss on his head.

"Sakura…" said Sasuke. She looked up at him and waited for him to say something. "…Thank you…for coming out tonight. It really meant a lot to Suki. And I also want to thank you for that necklace. You made her…really happy tonight." He said with gentleness in his eyes.

Sakura looked into his eyes and felt something sting in her heart. He had the same softness in his eyes that Sai did whenever he talked about Sora. For the first time since their initial meeting, Sakura looked at Sasuke…and saw her husband through him _again_. She didn't like this feeling. She knew he wasn't Sai but still, he was just so…similar.

Sakura just stood there and looked at him. She was paralyzed on the spot. She needed to get away from him before she kept on thinking like this. Plus it was getting cold and she needed to get Sora home soon.

"Sakura…what's wrong?" asked Sasuke. She was looking at him just like Sora did earlier. What's going on here?

"…What…oh…nothing….I'm…." she stuttered while still gazing into his eyes. "I'm uh…glad that Suki's happy. She really is special," she said. "I should go now…I'll see you later Sasuke." She said before turning around and walking toward her car.

She was walking kind of fast but steady seeing as how she was carrying her son. It was almost like she was trying to get away from him. From behind, Sasuke just now noticed how her dress fit her form perfectly. The black material really made her long white legs stand out even more. Sasuke stopped himself.

"…_Was I just…checking her out?"_ he thought. There's no way that he was checking her out. He was just making and observation. He shook his head and walked towards his car. But he couldn't get his mind off of Sakura's sudden change in emotion. It annoyed him to the point where he knew he wouldn't get a decent sleep out of it. But what did that matter to him? It's not like he enjoyed sleeping anyway.

* * *

**Sakura's House:**

It was past 10pm by the time Sakura got home. She carried Sora up to his room and changed him into his pajamas. After she tucked him into his little bed, she leaned over to give him a kiss.

She went down the hall to her room and changed out of her outfit. After replacing them with shorts and a t-shirt, she crawled into bed and just lay there and sighed.

Sai…it had barley been three years, but the pain was still just a bad as it was the first day. She tried her hardest to be strong and happy for Sora, but every night when she went to bed, she would have to remember that she was there alone. What made it all worse was that her son would never know him. He would never know what a great man his father was. To Sora, Sai will always be his father, but he won't be able to call him daddy. She didn't have the man that she loved with her anymore. All she had were her memories.

Thinking of that made her remember something.

_**A little more than four years ago…. **_

_Saturday morning and Sakura was still sleeping in their bed. She was recovering from last night's shift at the hospital. Dr. Tsunade was killing her with this internship. She rolled over to the other side and when she felt no one there, she opened her eyes. Sai was already up._

_She got out of bed and went into the bathroom to freshen up. After she came out, she put on her pink bathrobe and went into the living room where she saw the most adorable thing ever. Sai was sitting on the couch with their son._

_"Say daddy…say daddy," said a shirtless Sai as he held his baby boy, clad in only a diaper, in front of him. Sora was around 8 months old now. Sai had been trying every day to get him to say 'daddy' as his first word._

_Sora just cooed and smiled at him as his father played with him. He sure wasn't talking but he was definitely laughing a lot._

_"Come one little man, just say daddy. Daddy's got to one-up mommy one way or another." He said while bouncing his son up earning him more squeals of happiness._

_"Oh you've got to one-up me huh?" said Sakura as she walked over to them and sat down next to Sai. As soon as Sora saw her, he got extra excited and waved his cute little arms at her signaling that he wanting her to hold him now._

_"Why is my baby shirtless?" she asked. Sai just held Sora up in his arms while sitting up straighter. "We're men. I read that that's what men do…isn't it little man?" he asked Sora, who was still waving his arms at Sakura while becoming a little fussy now._

_"Does my baby want to come to mommy?" she said playfully as Sai reluctantly gave him to her. Sakura kissed his chubby cheeks and laughed at Sai._

_"Moms rule," she said while sticking her tongue out at Sai._

_"Why'd I marry you?" he asked exasperatedly. Sakura just punched him…with some added force and went back to snuggling with their baby. Sai got a mischievous smirk on his face. While Sakura was busy smothering Sora with kisses, Sai reached behind her and pulled her into his lap._

_"Sai! I'm holding Sora!" she said as she tried to regain her composure._

_"If you get to hold him, then I get to hold you," he said while burying his face in her hair. Sakura laughed at that logic. Sai looked over her shoulder at his son, who was now looking at him curiously._

_"Say Daddy…. say Daddy…" baby Sora just looked at him before he gave a toothless smile and laugh again and continue saying baby babble. Sai sighed in defeat and let his head fall on Sakura's shoulder._

_"Look at him Sakura…our son is mocking me," Said Sai._

_"He shouldn't be able to talk for another couple of months Sai. By then I' sure his first word will be mommy. Yes it will," she said as she snuggled with Sora again._

_Sai pulled Sakura's face closer to his in a long but sweet kiss._

_"…Mmmm what was that for?" asked Sakura as they pulled away from each other._

_"For giving me that little man right there," He said as he pointed to Sora. The baby just looked at both his parents for a while before turning to Sai._

_"…. Da…. da..." he said while smiling and putting his tiny fist in his mouth. Sakura gasped._

_"He did not just say that." She said. Sora babbled again while laughing this time._

_"…da...da….da da da da…" sang Sora. Sai took Sora from Sakura and stood up with him._

_"There you go; he said "da da". Let the record show that his first word is "da da"." He said while sticking his tongue out at Sakura. Sora laughed too._

_"Fine…but he loves me more!" pouted Sakura. Sai stopped playing with Sora and placed him in his playpen. He then turned around with an almost serious face and came to Sakura. He grabbed her and kissed her again._

_"I don't think anyone can love you as much as I do…Sakura," Said Sai as he kissed her again with more passion. "I love you Sakura," he whispered as she became lost in his kiss._

Sakura smiled at the memory. Sai really did love her more than life itself and she loved him just as much. He was the best part of her life along with their son. It wasn't fair that life took his father away from him.

Sakura got up from bed again and went down stairs to get a glass of water. When she came back up, she heard some mumbling coming from Sora's room. She quietly went inside to check up on him.

He was sprawled across the bed again and it looked like he was having some sort of dream. His blanket was falling off the bed so Sakura pulled it over him again. She knelt down to kiss him again when he unconsciously said one word that stopped her heart.

Sora shifted and whispered the word…"Daddy…"

* * *

**READ ME**

**Hello people. Okay I got some big news. With the help of Neon Kun – you rock dude! I've decided to use a sort of made up surname for Sai and Sora. From now on in the story, Sai's and Sora will now be known as "Sai Arisugaki and Sora Arisugaki". I KNOW SAI HAS NO LAST NAME… but I like that name for them. Sakura will be keeping her own last name of Haruno just because it flows better. The reason for her doing that will be revealed later. **


	10. Close Calls

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 10: Close Calls**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Monday morning at the Hyuga Residence: 5:30 AM**

Hyuga Neji was slowly starting to wake up. It was early and the sun had not risen yet, but he found that he could not remain asleep for much longer. The reason for that being was that his wife had taken to sleep right over his arm, effectively cutting off his much needed circulation.

He quietly tried to nudge her off and reclaim his arm. As he did so, Tenten shifted and rolled the other way. Now that his arm was released, Neji flexed it for a bit before deciding to just remain lying there and watching his wife sleep for a bit longer.

Knowing that she was pregnant just made her all the more beautiful. According to Tenten, she was only three months along. Neji could already see the changes in her body, not to mention her personality. There was a very definitive bump on her lower abdomen that was perfectly rounded. Tenten was a very physical fit woman and that just made the rounded bump stand out even more. Of course her scrubs still hide it well but still…that bump just came out of nowhere pretty fast.

Then there were those blasted midnight cravings.

Neji thought he would be able to escape those but just last night, Tenten had gotten up at 1:00 AM and demanded that she be given strawberry ice cream with ketchup and olives. After getting over his initial disgust, he did what any good husband would do and made it for her. Luckily, they had all the ingredients ahead of time. Although Neji had the feeling that Tenten would soon start demanding more…radical types of food pretty soon.

Trying his best to ignore that thought, Neji pulled Tenten up to his chest and tried to rest for another few minutes.

"Hold me tighter…I'm cold" mumbled Tenten.

"So you're awake," he noted as he tightened his grip on her. "You're scheduled to throw up any second now," he said while kissing the back of her head.

"Don't remind me," she said. Yesterday was horrible for Tenten. She must have thrown up about ten times in less than two hours. Sakura told her to expect it given her "special" situation. She was getting a hoot out of keeping Neji in the dark, but the constant barfing was really getting to her. Speaking of throwing up…

Tenten sprang from their bed, accidentally dragging the blanket with her leaving Neji to suffer from morning draft. The bathroom was going to be hers for a while. Neji sighed.

"_Only seven more months"_ thought Neji.

* * *

**Sakura's House: 7:15 AM**

Sakura didn't spend much time sleeping last night. No…she was far too preoccupied to even think about getting any sleep. Not after what she heard in Sora's room.

She was stunned when she heard him say "Daddy". It came out of nowhere. She hadn't heard him say that since he was two. Yes, "Daddy" may have been his first word and you would think that it would stick with him forever. But sure enough after Sai died, Sora had ceased to say that word altogether.

"Daddy" was forever erased from his vocabulary.

"_What is going on in his little head_?" she thought. It had been two days since he said it, and Sora never once mentioned anything about it. She decided not to bother him about it for the rest of the weekend, but it was hard not knowing what he was thinking.

Sakura was already up in the kitchen making breakfast. Sora was still upstairs getting ready. The shuffling heard from above was enough to tell her that he was on his way downstairs.

Sakura was in her usual pink scrubs with her hair let down today. She was currently making pancakes and packing her lunch for today at the same time.

Today was going to be pretty busy. She a good amount of patients scheduled including Tenten. As far as Sakura knew, she hadn't told Neji about her little secret yet. That was completely up to Tenten, but she should really hurry. Neji was bound to figure it out sooner or later.

Not only did she have her regular patients, she also had to deal with Sasuke. Today was the day of his stress test.

She never really thought about it until now, but giving him a stress test and quick physical would ultimately mean seeing Sasuke…shirtless. That thought didn't settle well with her. Sakura shook her head before Sora came bouncing down the stairs and taking his seat at the table.

Sakura brought the pancakes and syrup to the table and placed them in front of him while kissing the top of his head.

"I'll bring you your juice," she said as she went to get the fresh squeezed orange juice on the counter. She placed it in front of him, took her seat in next to him and began to eat her breakfast too.

"Sweetie, how's karate been going?" she asked as she took a bite.

"Good," he said while cutting up his pancakes. "We're learning how to kick and stuff. Lee sensei told me that I can break the boards soon but only if I work hard,"

"Oh did he now? Well I've noticed that you haven't hurt yourself since you started. You always used to get little scrapes and bruises. I miss fixing your cute little boo boo's," she said while playfully pinching his cheeks.

"Moooommy," he whined while rubbing his cheeks. Sakura just couldn't help herself with him sometimes.

"Are you having fun in there with Akio?" she asked. He just nodded his head.

"Akio doesn't like to fight," he said matter-of-factly while swinging his legs back and forth under the table. "Lee sensei told him that he's losing his youth to fast. What does that mean Mommy?" he asked innocently.

Sakura just laughed. This Lee sounded very…strange. "I really don't know Sora. I guess it just means he acts like an old man," she chuckled. "We should get going soon sweetie," she said while looking at her watch. They finished up their breakfast and headed out the door.

**In the car...**

Sakura drove down the street and stopped at a red light. She looked at Sora through the rear view mirror. Sora was currently flipping through his drawings in one of his sketchpads. He often did that when he unable to make a new drawing on the spot.

Sakura wondered if it was okay to question him about last night. Even though he was sleeping when he said "Daddy", Sakura wondered what he was thinking about when he said it. She decided to ask discreetly.

"Did you sleep well sweetie?" She asked.

"Uh huh," he said absentmindedly as he continued flipping through the drawings.

"Oh…did you have any good dreams?" she asked. Sora looked thoughtful for a moment before saying something.

"Ummm…oh yeah…I dreamt that Grandpa was a ninja and then he had all his dogs attack the bad guys," he said excitedly.

Sakura starred at him for a while before she actually registered what he said. She burst out laughing. She tried to imagine her father; the police commander of the Kyoto PD, in a ninja outfit reading his perverted books alongside his legion of canines. The thought was hilarious.

"Hahaha…. oh my gosh…good one sweetie," she said while holding her chest from laughing so hard. Maybe back in the day, her father could have been a ninja. But what ninja would freely read perverted books and own about ten dogs?

"So…you didn't have any other dreams?" she asked now that she calmed down a bit.

"Mmmmm…nope." he said.

"Okay then," she said. "_Guess I'll just have to drop it for now."_ She thought. After dropping Sora off at school, Sakura made her way to work.

September was almost over now but the weather was still nice, but a bit on the breezy side. She went up to the coffee cart in front of the hospital and bought the usual muffin and hazelnut coffee before walking inside and up to the elevator.

"Hey Sakura!" She turned around and came face to face with Naruto.

"Hey Naruto, how's it going?" she asked as the elevators opened. They both stepped inside.

"Minus the paper work, everything's going great. It was fun hanging out with the gang on Saturday," He said. He was again wearing his while lab coat with black scrubs underneath.

"Yeah it was. Oh that reminds me, when is Hinata free?" she asked.

"Uhhh… I think she gets off at seven tonight. Why?" he asked. "You girls going to get all hot and bothered over Tupperware?" he asked while snickering.

"Shut up, Tupperware saves time and dishes," said Sakura. "Anyway, I wanted to do a sort of a girl's night out to catch up with everyone. Sora and I have already settled in nicely and I figure it's time to just relax a bit with my girlfriends," She said while sipping her coffee.

"Sounds…feminine," He said for lack of a better word. "Maybe I should organize a guy's night out. Then again, it wouldn't be very lively with a neurosurgeon, a lazy-ass genius and a bastard. I'm the only fun one,"

"I'm sure you are," she chuckled. This almost became another morning routine. Naruto and Sakura would meet up at the elevators and chat for a while before heading off to their designated areas. "But if you were to have a guy's night out, it would have to be on a different night then ours,"

Naruto scratched his head. "Why?" he asked.

"Well, if you guys went out when we did, then who will watch the kids?" she asked.

"Well I don't know, maybe the- hey wait, you were going to make us baby sit?" he asked incredulously.

"Well of course we were. Who'd you think we would use a babysitter?" she asked. "I will not have a stranger watch over my child," she exclaimed.

"Fine I'll watch them. They've got to be more fun than those bastards anyway," said Naruto.

"Well there you go. You think you can handle all three kids in one night?" she asked.

"No problem," he said while waving his hand at her. "Let's make it four kids. I know Suki won't want to miss out on ramen and a movie night at my place,"

Sakura paused for a bit. "Naruto do you eat anything besides ramen?" she asked. Naruto just gave her an unabashed grinned.

"Only when Hinata makes me eat something else, otherwise it's Ramen for life. Believe it!" he said while pumping his fist in the air dramatically. As he did so, the elevator doors opened at the 8th floor, which was Sakura's stop.

"I'll see you later Naruto," she said as she exited the elevator. She made her way to her office and unlocked the door. She loved entering her office first thing in the morning. Over time, she's transformed it into an empty room into a cozy little nook.

She went around to her rather large desk and placed her purse underneath it. She was given a black flat screen computer, printer, fax machine and phone. Her desk was littered with pictures of Sora, her father, her friends and colleagues. Her favorite pictures by far were the ones herself and Sai, holding their baby in her arms. The one next to it was her father in uniform.

She opened up her files on the computer and looked up her schedule. She had to get a few patients followed up today among a few pediatric consults all before 2pm. Sasuke would be her last patient for the day. Her phone rang. She pushed the speaker button on the phone.

"Dr. Haruno speaking," she said into the speaker.

"_Hey Sakura, it's me_," came Tenten's voice from the other line. She sounded a little put out.

"Hey Tenten. What's up?" she said while sipping her coffee.

"_Sakura, I know you told me to expect the extra morning sickness and all, but this is ridiculous. I can't keep anything down and I feel sick throughout the whole day. I can't properly give consultations to my patients like this let alone operate on them,_" she whined.

"I know its tough Tennie but this comes with the territory. And I've been meaning to talk to you more about the operations too," Said Sakura.

"_What do you mean_?" Tenten asked.

"I would prefer that I talk to you about that in person. When are you getting here anyway?" asked Sakura.

"_Neji and I are on our way right now. We should be there in a half hour," _Tenten answered.

"Great, the both of you should come in together. There are some things that Neji should know as well regarding your care. Speaking of things _Neji_ should know, did you tell him yet?" she asked excitedly. Tenten became slightly nervous.

"_Uh…not quite. But we'll talk about that later_," she said. In other words, it was code for "_I'm not going to talk about it while he's in the car with me__."_

"Gottcha," said Sakura. "If you haven't eaten yet, then grab something cold or at room temperature to eat. I'll explain more about it when I see you," she said.

"_Okay then. See you later Sakura," _

"Later," said Sakura. She hung up and went back to her computer. Looking over at her schedule from now until next year, Sakura was able to calculate that she would be pretty busy in the month of July. It was estimated that all the pregnant patients she had during the month of September were scheduled to deliver their babies in July. She would have to be careful about that. Sora's birthday was also in July and there was no way that she would work then.

"Better get started then," she said to herself as she left her office and made her way to the break room, where she saw around five nurses that were assigned to her sitting at the table and chatting away.

"Morning ladies," she said as she walked past them to go to the cabinets.

"Oh…morning Dr. Haruno," they replied with disinterest. They went back to talking. Sakura was going through her files and couldn't help but catch a few snippets of their conversation.

Interestingly enough, they were all talking about a certain someone.

"Sasuke is so dreamy," said the nurse called Yumi. "I saw him leave work the other day. He was so hot," she said. The other nurses were quick to sigh in agreement.

"Hey, you guys remember last year?" asked another nurse.

"Who could forget?" said the other nurse. "I wish I could have seen him topless," she said whiningly. "I couldn't get past the damn crowd," She said.

"I got to see him for a second" said Yumi. "He's even more gorgeous underneath," she said dreamily.

"Lucky," said the other nurses.

"Yeah…he's so hot when he's angry," she said recalling how pissed off he looked that day. "And that killer body," she said while slumping down on her chair. It was as if the memory was making her melt.

"What I wouldn't give to snag him one of these days," said another nurse. "I mean seriously, tall, handsome, rich, a total bad boy look…the perfect birthday present," She said while giggling.

Sakura found herself more than a little annoyed at their conversation.

"_They think of him like a piece of meat_," she thought. It was like those lovesick puppy conversations you would hear at high school. They were supposed to be professionals.

She sighed, "_I guess Naruto has some valid reasons for disliking these particular nurses after all," _She thought.

"Okay ladies," she said grabbing their attention. She told them their assignments for the day and dismissed them.

As she made her way to do her rounds, she couldn't help but think about their conversation. Apparently, Sasuke was pretty popular around here. How he became that way was a mystery to her seeing as how he never walks among them on the floors.

Still, she couldn't deny that he was very attractive. But that was no reason for the nurses to behave that way. She sighed as she made her way to the rooms. Today was going to be interesting.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV**

Sasuke arrived at work promptly at eight and was currently trying to suppress a yawn in the elevator. His parents officially came back from their outing in Osaka last night. It was pretty late when they arrived at the house so Suki wasn't able to greet them. Sasuke was pretty much deprived of some much-needed sleep due to the late visit.

Normally he wouldn't care about the effects it would have on him the next day, but this wasn't just any other day. Today was his stress test with Dr. Haruno a.k.a Naruto's long-lost-annoyingly-interesting-sister. If his results indicated stress, he would never hear the end of it from the Dobe, let alone Sakura.

The elevator doors opened on the top floor and Sasuke walked out.

"Good Morning Mr. Uchiha," said his secretary sitting at the elevator entrance.

"Morning," he said as he walked by. He opened his office doors and stepped inside. The sight that greeted him was not a pleasant one. He had left all his books and files open and scattered all over the floor from last Friday. He was just so glad that work was finished that he opted to just leave everything there for Monday.

"_I'm seriously regretting that now," _thought Sasuke. There was no way he could get anything done unless he cleaned up first. And in the end, he'll just end up pulling all of the files out again for today's paper work. Sighing, Sasuke placed his briefcase beneath his desk and started to get organized.

This was defiantly not going to help him with the stress test today. He could just see the smug look on the Dobe's face if the test came back positive for stress. As he was picking up the mess, his intercom went off and his secretary's voice was heard from the phone.

"Mr. Uchiha, Naruto is here," she said. Sasuke walked over to the phone and pushed the response button, wishing he could deny the blonde but knew it was pointless.

"Send him in," he said. A few seconds later, Naruto came in his office.

"What's up?" said Naruto.

"What do you want now Dobe?" he asked as he continued to get organized. It was too early in the day to deal with Naruto now, especially today.

"Just checking up on the world's biggest bastard on the day of his stress test," He said while flopping down on the sofa at the edge of the office.

"If you're here for nothing then you can at least help clean up," said Sasuke as he was putting some books back into the shelves.

"Sure," said Naruto as he got off the sofa and to pick up some files.

"So I ran into Sakura this morning," said Naruto trying to make some conversation.

"Yeah…so?" asked Sasuke as he went back to his desk to gather more stuff. "Don't you see her every morning?" asked Sasuke uncaringly.

"Yeah, anyway she mentioned that she wanted to go out with Hinata, Tenten and Ino. She kind of forced me to look after the kids," He said

"Hn," said Sasuke

"Suki should come over too. She'll have fun with everyone," Said Naruto.

"Yeah…sure" said Sasuke. He was obviously too preoccupied at the moment.

"So are you ready then?" asked Naruto.

"Ready for what Dobe?" asked Sasuke

"You're physical with Sakura," He said while tossing him a large dictionary. Sasuke caught it with one hand, regardless of its weight.

"There's nothing to be ready for," he answered. Naruto snorted.

"You sure about that? Because she and I are pretty sure you've got stress issues," Said Naruto while leaning on Sasuke's desk.

"We'll see about that," said Sasuke.

"Yeah, we sure will. I wouldn't expect anything less of Sakura. If anyone can find something wrong with you, it's going to be her," Said Naruto.

"You seem pretty confident for a Dobe," said Sasuke as he put the last of the files into their proper place. Naruto Scowled.

"Yeah so do you, for a bastard anyway. I read about Sakura's medical track online. She's got some pretty intense cases under her belt, not to mention Dr. Tsunade's tutelage," Said Naruto.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Naruto's use of words.

"Do you even know what 'Tutelage' means?" asked Sasuke.

"…That's what it said online," Naruto admitted sheepishly. "What does it mean anyway?" he asked.

"Guidance or support," said Sasuke. Naruto just mouthed an "Oh".

"So how are you going to get through this physical without those sex-starved wolves known as nurses finding out about it?" said Naruto. Not all nurses were bad, but he really did have a sore spot for the mean nurses…expect for Hinata of course.

"I've already taken care of that. Hinata will be the only nurse allowed to handle my files. She'll see to it that the reports get to Employee Health department without any unnecessary public knowledge," Sasuke said while taking a seat behind his desk.

"That's Hinata for you. She's the most dependable person there is. That's only one of the million reasons why I married her," said Naruto with pride. "So what time is your appointment?" he asked.

"Around 2pm," Said Sasuke.

"Hmmmm," said Naruto as he squinted his eyes in concentration. He placed his hand at his chin and looked down as if in serious thought. "Poor Sakura. She's got to deal with you at the end of a Monday morning,"

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" said Sasuke as he turned his computer on.

"Nope," said Naruto. "I'm going to meet Sakura later for a therapy session on one of the kids we both work on. Until then, I got nothing to do but bug you," he said. Just then, Naruto's pager vibrated. He checked the ID and sighed when he saw it was the nurse's station.

"Duty calls Dobe," said Sasuke who wore a smug expression on his face. Naruto scowled and turned to leave the office.

"Well see who's smug after your test," said Naruto as he shut the door.

* * *

**Sakura's office: 11:00 AM**

After Sakura had completed her pediatric therapy sessions with Naruto, she decided to page Tenten and Neji. She had only few more patients to see including Sasuke and now was the only time she would get the chance to talk to them.

She heard a knock at her door and got up to open the door. Neji and Tenten were standing outside.

"Hey guys," said Sakura as she stood to the side to let them in. "Come on in." she said.

"Hi Sakura," Said Tenten. Sakura went over to sit behind her desk while Neji and Tenten sat in two armchairs in front of her.

"So, Neji…" said Sakura as she turned towards him. "Is she killing you yet with the midnight cravings?" asked Sakura. Neji smirked and turned to Tenten, who just smiled at him innocently.

"Hmmm, not yet. Although she does seem to be craving ketchup pretty often," He said while leaning back in the armchair.

"I can't help it. Ketchup just seems to taste better lately…and I goes great with just about anything," Tenten stated.

Sakura just smiled. "I hear you Tenten. I used to crave ketchup too and a lot of weird dishes actually. Now that I think about it, I ate some pretty disgusting things," Said Sakura. "Just thinking about them makes me want to gag," she said.

"Tell me about it," Tenten sighed.

"So anyway you guys," said Sakura as she adjusted some files on her desk. "I wanted to talk to you both about the next few months and what to expect as well as some new rules for the both of you," she said.

"Let's discuss the morning sickness please," Tenten pleaded. Sakura smiled at her.

"Okay then. Did you eat something cool or at room temperature this morning?" asked Sakura.

"I had some cereal and juice," she answered.

"Okay. That's good. It's good to eat foods that aren't heated through. It leaves less of an aroma if it's bland and it's less likely to trigger any nausea," Said Sakura.

"Seems reasonable," said Tenten. "But you said you also wanted to talk to me about my patients and surgeries. What's that all about?"

"This is going to be a little difficult on your part," Sakura began. "As your doctor, I want you to take it easy on the number of operations you perform in a day. No surgeries in the morning. We can't risk you getting nauseated while you're working on a patient,"

"Just in the morning?" asked Neji.

"For now, yes," she answered. "Morning sickness usually does happen in the morning but that's not necessarily the case with everyone. Some people having it throughout the day; is that the case with you?" she asked.

"Well…it seems to be pretty much just in the morning for me,," Said Tenten. "But how long until I can operate freely?" asked Tenten.

"I don't think you'll be able to Tenten," said Neji. Tenten turned to him questioningly.

"Neji's right Tenten," said Sakura. "The morning restriction is just for your first trimester, in which you only have one month left. During the second trimester, your abdomen will grow at a rapid pace to accommodate the baby and block your range of contact to the patient in the operating room. In other words…"

"I'll be so big I won't even be able to reach across the table, right?" said Tenten while slumping in her chair. "So what? By what you're saying, it sounds like I won't be able to perform surgery until after I give birth"

"Well that's pretty much it Tennie. It'll put way too much stress on you and increase the potential for damage. You're really going to have to take it easy," she warned making Tenten sigh.

"But I'm a surgeon Sakura. If I can't participate in surgery, then what good am I?" asked Tenten.

"You can still give consultations and post op reviews. You can even be in the operating room if you want to but I do not want you to actually operate. I know this is a low blow for you, but you're having a baby! You really need to focus on keeping yourself calm," Said Sakura.

"And Neji," said Sakura as she turned to him. "I'm going to need you to make sure that she doesn't do any strenuous work around the house and monitor her. Be good about her cravings too. Many people don't really understand the significance of pregnancy cravings," Said Sakura.

"Like what?" asked Neji.

"Pregnancy has an amazing ability to force the body to be naturally turned off by certain foods that can cause harm to the baby such as alcohol. On the other hand, it also makes the body crave a variety of food combinations full of nutrients and good stuff that are needed for the baby to properly grow and develop, hence the midnight cravings," Said Sakura.

"No worries there," said Tenten. "Neji's been really good to me so far about those," She said as she turned and smiled at him.

"Awww," said Sakura. "Well brace yourself Neji. They're going to get worse. Just make sure you have plenty of ice-cream of all flavors available. It's a pregnant woman's dream to eat ice-cream after midnight," She said.

"And Tenten," said Sakura as she turned to her. "How do you usually feel after the morning sickness? How long does it take you to recover?" she asked.

"Too Long" said Tenten. "It's horrible Sakura. Anything I eat will just come right back out a few hours later. And it does take a while to get over the nausea," She said as she brought her hands up to her face.

"Okay then. This is what I'm going to do," said Sakura as she opened her drawer to pull out a small medication card. She began writing on it. "I'm going to give you your prenatal vitamins as well as a vitamin B6 supplement to help with the morning sickness," She said as she tore off the card.

"It doesn't mean you B6 deficient," she continued while handing her the card. "It's been known to ease morning sickness. It's not good for the baby if you can't keep anything down,"

"Anything else I should avoid?" she asked while taking the card.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Sakura answered. "Avoid fatty foods, which take longer to digest. Also steer clear of rich, spicy, acidic, and fried foods, which can irritate your digestive system. I know sometimes it can't be help, but just try to eat as healthy as you can,"

"Alright," said Tenten.

"Also try eating several small meals a day instead of three big ones. It'll be easier on you," said Sakura. She turned to Neji. "So Neji, take care of her. Sora will be very upset if his favorite Godmother isn't feeling well,"

Neji chuckled. "Well then, he'll just have to come over more often to check up on her," He said.

"Oh yeah Sakura, I haven't seen him in ages. I miss my god-baby," Said Tenten. Sakura smiled. Neji and Tenten were really good to her and Sora when they lost Sai. They were a big support along with her father and she'll always be grateful to them for it.

"Well then why don't you guys come over for dinner sometime. I know Sora would love to see you," she offered.

"Sure, when?" asked Tenten.

"Whenever you want. How does tomorrow night sound?" asked Sakura.

"Sounds good to me, what about you Neji?" asked Tenten.

"Depending on when I finish my last operation, I should be home around seven." He answered.

"Perfect. Any special requests for dinner from our mommy-to-be?" asked Sakura.

"Chicken sounds good." Said Tenten. "And ketchup," she added.

"Of course," said Sakura. The three of them continued to talk for a while before Neji's pager went off.

"I'm needed in the OR." He said while looking at the pager. All three of them got up and headed towards the door.

"I definitely won't be able to make it to lunch today," Said Neji while looking at Tenten with an apologetic face. Tenten just shrugged and smiled.

"That's ok. Duty calls. At least you still have a duty." She said sarcastically. Neji sighed and placed a kiss on her forehead. He then turned to Sakura and gave her a hug.

"Can you assist me in keeping my stubborn wife calm?" he asked. Sakura chuckled while Tenten mock scowled.

"It's my job. Don't worry. I'll keep your baby's mama happy," Said Sakura. Neji gave Tenten one last look before heading towards the elevators.

"Why don't you eat lunch with me? You can have all the hospital ketchup you want," Sakura said, looping her arm with her friends.

"Deal," she agreed.

_**Later that Day: 2:45PM**_

Sasuke was sitting in his office and reading his e-mails. Shikamaru had sent him more details about the big conference call in December. As he was reading, his intercom went off.

"_Mr. Uchiha, Dr. Haruno is here to see you_," said his secretary. Sasuke looked over at the clock on the wall and cursed. He was forty-five minutes late for his test. For some reason, he knew that Sakura was not going to be very happy about this.

He pushed the intercom. "Send her in," he said. He closed his computer and waited for her to come in. The door opened and in walked Sakura with an interesting facial expression caught somewhere in between amused and smug.

"Mr. Uchiha," she said while tilting her head to the side. Sasuke knew she was peeved by the way she said that. It was more like 'don't tell me you've been here this whole time' expression. The air became somewhat tense.

"Dr. Haruno," he said while standing.

"You're late," said Sakura in an annoyed voice while looking at his face.

"I know," he said as he walked around his desk towards her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Work," he said.

"Of course," she said in mock understanding.

"Hn," he said.

"Shall we then?" asked Sakura. "I didn't think I'd have to pick you up for your own appointment," She said as he opened his office door.

"Hn," said Sasuke.

"Is there anything else you can say besides that?" she asked as they exited his office and went towards the elevator. His secretary gave the two of them a questioning glance before quickly resuming her work.

The elevator opened and the two of them stepped in. Sasuke stayed in the center of the elevator while Sakura leaned on the wall next to him. The elevator began to descend. Sakura checked her spectra link for any messages before placing the phone back into the pocket of her coat.

"So do you ever take a break?" asked Sakura as she looked up at him. He looked down to her and decided to lean against the other side of the elevator while sticking his hands in his pockets so that he faced her.

"Define 'taking a break'," he said. He was slightly amused when her lips pursed and her head dropped slightly.

"Do you _ever_, _ever _and I mean really _ever_ step away from that office of yours?" she asked. Sasuke briefly wondered why she cared so much.

"I do," he said. "I have to go home sometime," he added, and again, he was amused when her face transformed into one of disbelief. She was so easy to read it was ridiculous.

"You're hopeless," she said. The elevators stopped on the 1st floor and the two of them stepped out and headed towards the clinic. "Are you sure you're going to come back out without stress?" she asked.

"We'll just see, won't we Dr. Haruno?" he asked. Sakura rolled her eyes.

The elevator stopped at the 7th floor. Sasuke watched in silent horror as three nurses made their way inside. The problem with these particular nurses was that he recognized them from the fiasco that happened last year.

If they were to ever find out that he was about to become shirtless again, then there would be hell to pay. The three nurses began to giggle annoyingly at the sight of him, not noticing that Sakura was there as well.

"Oh, it's Mr. Uchiha," Said the nurse in the middle. The other two smiled seductively at him from the remained stoic. This is one of the reasons why he keeps himself locked away in his office; to avoid nuisances like them.

The nurse closest to the door pushed the button for the second floor. As the doors closed they all made their way to Sasuke and stood next to him. Sasuke straightened himself and became tenser.

"So, Mr. Uchiha what brings you here today?" asked the nurse of his left. She was standing a little too close for his liking. He turned his gaze to Sakura, who had her eyebrows raised questioningly. Her face then looked like it realized something before transforming into a sly smirk.

"_Is she mocking me?"_ he thought.

"We never see you around very much Mr. Uchihaaa," said the nurse on his right while putting an annoying emphasis on the end of his name. She was also standing a little too close.

Again, Sasuke said nothing as he maintained eye contact with Sakura, who seemed to be getting a kick out of his discomfort.

Sasuke looked up at the elevator only see that they were barely on the fourth floor. The nurses continued to pester him about useless things, all the while having him ignore them.

They still didn't seem to notice Sakura, who just leaned on the wall watching him become irritated. This was definitely not going to help his stress test. Although she was amused for a bit, she was also beginning to get irritated with these nurses.

One of the key reasons was because they worked for her in the Pediatrics units…and they had yet to notice her. She was their superior after all and she was a little ashamed of their behavior.

She cleared her throat, "Ahem," she said as the three nurses stopped their giggling to look over at her. "Ladies," she said in a calm collected voice.

"Oh, Dr. Haruno," said the giggling nurse. "Um...we didn't see you there for a sec." She said.

"Oh yes, my hair helps me blend in," she said with a little sarcasm. "Have you three finished your rounds?" she asked.

"Oh, were almost done," said one of the nurses.

"It's almost 3:00 PM," said Sakura. "I want those reports on my desk as soon as possible. They should have been completed by now," She said while looking at all three of them. She was giving them a look. This look seemed to be intimidating the three. Her face was stoic, but her eyes were calculating.

"Um…" began the nurse close to the door. "Oh look, the second floor," she said as the elevator came to a stop. "Well, got to go," she said as the three of them quickly left.

The doors closed and Sakura looked at Sasuke, who was looking back at her. She tilted her head to the side and smirked at him.

"You sure are popular for someone who never leaves his office," she said.

"Hn," he said back. Sakura sighed. The elevator stopped on the first floor and the doors opened again.

"Sure you're not stressed now Mr. Uchihaaaaaa," she said while chuckling a bit. He just looked down at her and semi-glared.

"You know, I'm beginning to think you want me to be," he said while walked side by side with her.

"I'm going to prove that you are," she said looking up at him.

"We'll just see about that Dr. Haruno," he said while making a turn at the corner.

"When will you learn that egging me on will only motivate me?" she asked as the two of them made their way towards the exam making sure that no one was watching, Sasuke and Sakura both entered the room. Hinata had already left Sasuke's file from Employee health on the desk.

"Now I'm going to do a quick run through," said Sakura. "Please remove your shirt,"

Sasuke sat on the exam table and tossed his jacket to the side. He then began to unbutton his shirt, which made Sakura a little…nervous. She recalled the nurse's conversations from this morning about his body. Now was her chance to know what they were talking about.

She turned around and adjusted some papers in his files. She grabbed her stethoscope and placed it in her pocket.

The buttons were undone and Sasuke slid the shirt off and tossed it to the side as well. Sakura turned around and was graced with quite a sight. She cleared her throat and approached him without looking him in the eyes.

"Let's check your blood pressure," she said.

After performing the basic blood pressure and temperature, Sakura discovered that his blood pressure was slightly elevated.

"_I knew he was stressed_," She thought.

She began to place her hands on his neck. She gently massaged the area to check for any thyroid masses or inflamed lymph nodes. By doing so, she concluded that there were no masses. She checked his eyes using a flashlight and then used the stethoscope to check his heartbeat and breathing. Doing so forced her to step closer to him.

She then placed the stethoscope on his abdomen to listen for any irregularities.

Doing so gave her time to full examine him up close. He was sculpted with his chiseled arms and well-toned, defined muscles lining his back and thorax. His abdomen another thing all together; he had one of the best six packs she had ever seen.

Sakura never told anyone, but she was a sucker for the six-pack abs; it was her guilty pleasure. And standing so close to him, placing her hands on him applying pressure on his chest, grazing his skin for the briefest of moments, was starting to get a little difficult.

There was something else that really stood out about him. On the upper left corner of his neck, there was undoubtedly a black tattoo of what appeared to be three coma marks. Now that was unusual. Sasuke didn't strike her as the type to get a tattoo.

"_Well what do you know?"_ she thought.

Did she mention that Tattoos were another one of her guilty pleasures? Oh yes, they were. Sakura suddenly found herself wondering why it was that life seemed to be teasing her.

"_Why is he so similar?" _she thought. Sai also had tattoos. Being an artist, he always admired body art.

Sakura found that she could not look him in the eyes at this point. After the recital last Saturday, Sakura couldn't help but think more about the physical similarities between Sai and Sasuke.

She knew it wasn't fair to compare them but she couldn't help it. That night after the recital, Sasuke's eyes made her feel something she couldn't even name right away.

"Dr. Haruno?" said Sasuke. Sakura snapped out of her reverie and looked up at him, only to notice that her face was dangerously close to his. Not only that, she was practically in between his legs from standing so close to him.

"Uh…y...yes?" she asked while clearing her throat. He was looking right into her emerald orbs with his own steely black ones.

"You were spacing out," he said. She blinked several times before moving away from him and grabbing his chart.

"No I wasn't," she said while clicking on her pen to fill out his chart. She quickly filled in the information and closed the file.

"Now we move on to the treadmill stress test," she said. He just nodded his head. He knew that she was clearly preoccupied with something, but she was still very professional about it.

Sasuke placed his shirt back on and walked with Sakura out of the exam room and to the elevators that were located farther into the building. The treadmill was located down on the basement level of the hospital along with the copy room and surgical department.

They exited the elevator and continued to walk in the opposite direction of the OR. Sakura opened the door and walked in followed by Sasuke.

"Okay, for this, you're going to have to remove your shirt again and get on the treadmill," she informed.

"Hn," he said while peeling his shirt off again. As he did so, Sakura went over to the cabinet and pulled out a bunch of wires.

"I'm going to place the knobs on you so stand still," she said as she walked up to him and began peeling the stickers off of the ends.

Sasuke watched as she placed them on various areas on his chest. As she did so, he also noted how gentle her touch was. Her fingers felt warm and smooth against his bare chest. Her eyes were focused at the task at hand. She finished placing the wires on him and moved away. Not once did she look him in the eye, and for some reason, that bothered him.

"Okay then," she said, opening up his chart again. "Please step on the treadmill. I'll be watching you from the glass over there," She said indicating the observation room to his left.

He stepped on the treadmill as she walked over the door that leads to the room. Her voice could be heard from the intercom.

"Okay Sasuke, I'm going to start the treadmill on slow and then I'll increase the speed every few minutes or so. This will go on for about 10 minutes,"

Sasuke could see her from the glass and simply nodded."Okay then, let's begin." She said. The machine switched on and began to move at a walking pace. Sasuke walked for a minute or two, getting warmed up and such.

The machine picked up some speed making him walk fast. His breathing was fine as he walked faster to keep up. After another minute or two, the speed increased so that he was at a light run.

Sakura was watching his stats on the monitor in front of her and watching Sasuke run on the treadmill too. He was physically fit indeed. She watched as his muscles flexed and contracted rhythmically with the running motion of the treadmill. His breathing was normal and he looked like he could endure a much longer run.

But there was one thing that was not okay. His blood pressure was still a little too high for her liking. He was showing signs of pre-hypertension.

She continued to watch as he ran out the duration of the test without any problems. Sakura gradually slowed down the speed of the treadmill until it came to a stop. She got out of the room and made her way over to Sasuke who was panting slightly.

"Okay then. Let's check your blood pressure on more time," She said as she placed the cuffs around his arm. She pumped the knob until she could get a clear reading. Again, it came up positive for elevated blood pressure.

"Do I pass, Dr. Haruno?" he asked with a smirk. She looked up at him and smirked herself.

"Nope," she said as she took the cuffs off his arm. She enjoyed seeing him defeated. "You have high blood pressure," she said.

"And?" he said. Sakura rolled her eyes at him.

"Given your history and physical exam, it's clear that overall, you're pretty healthy. You're young and physically fit so there should be no reason that your blood pressure is 130/83mmHg other than stress," she said.

Sasuke's breathing calmed down now that he wasn't running anymore. He was looking at Sakura who was just standing there and looking back at him and smiling.

"Naruto and I win then," she said. "You have stress issues and this time, you can't deny it." She said while poking him on his chest. "Oh yeah I have to take these off,' she said absentmindedly as she began peeling the stickers from his body.

Then, suddenly, the room began to shake and the intercom went of declaring the hospital in Code: Triage (external emergency). Sakura was thrown right into Sasuke's chest as he held her tightly and ducked underneath the desk at the end of the room. It was an earthquake.

Sakura's heart rate went up as she finally realized what was going on. The shaking didn't seem severe but it was still powerful. Sasuke was hovering over her with an iron grip around her waist. She was trying to cling on to him but realized that he was still shirtless, so she wrapped both her arm around his back and just held on tight while closing her eyes.

The first thing that came to her mind was Sora. This earthquake was pretty powerful and it definitely would have reached the school. Sora would be in Karate practice by now and Sasuke's daughter would be in ballet practice.

The shaking went on for about three minutes before it stopped. Sakura opened her eyes and looked around. The room looked like it was intact. Nothing was cracked or broken.

"Are you okay?" asked Sasuke.

Sakura turned back to him and again, his face was really close to hers. She looked into his eyes and blushed a little at their current position. He was still on top of her, shirtless, and holding on to her waist and the side of her face.

"...yeah, I'm fine." She whispered. He slowly got off of her, cautious in case of an aftershock and got out from underneath the table. He walked over and got his white shirt and put it back on.

"We need to get back and assess the damage," he said while grabbing his blazer. Sakura nodded and grabbed his chart before following him out the door.

"We need to see if the kids are alright," said Sakura as Sasuke opened the doors to the stairs.

"I'm sure they're fine," he said as they continued to climb the stairs. "Suki's in ballet with Ino and Sora's at school right?" he asked. She nodded her head. "Then they're both begin taken care of"

"We should still call them," She said as Sasuke opened the door that lead back into the main hospital.

Everyone was recovering from the earthquake. People were hustling around trying to place papers back in their proper files and evacuating all the visitors.

"I have to meet with security to go over any damages," said Sasuke. "We'll talk about the test later," he said.

"Okay. I have to check on my patients. Then I'm going to go to pick up Sora. You were my last patient for the day. I'm guessing you're going to be here for a while?" she asked.

"Yes. This is going to take up quite some time," he said.

"Do you want me to pick up Suki too? I don't mind really," she said. He looked at her for a second before nodding his head.

"Thank you. That would be really helpful," he said. "I'll call you when this is over," he said as he walked away. She watched him leave before heading towards the stairs again.

_Seven flights of stairs and one tired Sakura later…_

Sakura made her way to the NICU first. She had to check on the babies. She spoke with all the nurse giving strict instructions to keep a close watch on their designated children and to have the emergency supplies in handy.

She then went to the eighth floor and proceeded to check on the mothers and their babies. After concluding that everything was fine, Sakura went to her office and grabbed her purse before heading out.

* * *

**Konoha Leaf Academy:**

Sora and Akio and the rest of their Karate club were all gathered outside with Lee Sensei. All the after school clubs gathered on the front yard.

"That was pretty scary," said Sora. He was sitting on the grass in his karate uniform next to Akio.

"Y...yeah," said Akio. He was still pretty shaken by the whole thing. Lee Sensei was going on about remaining youthful in emergencies.

"Never forget Students," came Lee's booming voice. "You must always work hard in order to be prepared for emergency situations such as this one!" he said while pumping his fist into the air. "Now, let us remain here until your parents come to pick you up. In the meantime, we can all keep practicing our kicks!" he said while kicking the air.

"Sora!" came Sakura's voice.

Sora looked around and saw his mother running towards him. Lee sensei also stopped kicking the air and just stood there wide-eyed. Sakura fell to her knees and pulled Sora into a massive hug.

"Oh Sora," she said while kissing his head over and over again. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere sweetie?" she asked while scanning him for injury. She hugged him again when she concluded that he was just fine.

"Mooommmy," he whined. "I'm okay," he said. She was holding on to him like her life depended on it. She let go of him and placed another kiss on his cheek.

"I'm glad," she said. She turned to Akio who was still sitting down.

"Akio," said Sakura. He turned to look up at her. "Are you okay sweetie?" she asked. She noticed that he looked a little frightened.

"I'm okay Aunt S…Sakura," he said stuttering a little. Sakura decided to call Ino and see if she wanted her to bring Akio to her. She brought out her phone and called her.

"_Hello?"_ came Ino's voice. Sakura could hear crying in background.

"Hey Ino, It's me," said Sakura. "I'm coming over there to pick up Suki. I'm going to bring Akio too. Alright?" she asked.

"_Oh, that would be so helpful. I'm up to my neck here with the girls. Most of them are in tears and I have a few cuts to deal with. The glass on the walls shattered. You coming along would be a big help Sakura." _

"What about Suki? Is she Okay?" Sakura asked, worry laced in her words.

"_Poor thing's been in tears ever since. She's pretty scared and she wants Sasuke,"_ Ino.

"Tell her I'm on my way to get her okay?" said Sakura.

"_Sure, thanks Sakura. You're a life saver_," Said Ino. They both hung up and Sakura turned back to the boys.

"Okay guys, where's your sensei?" she asked.

"That would be me!" said Lee as he came up to Sakura. Her first impression of him was a that he was a strange looking man with the shiniest bowl haircut and thickest eyebrows she's ever seen in her life.

"My name is Rock Lee!" he said with a noticeable glint in his eye. "I am the Karate instructor here as well on the Physical Education teacher!" he said.

"_Does he always shout everything he says?"_ she thought, cringing. "Um, hello there. My Name is Sakura. I'm Sora's mother,"

"Sakura! What a fitting name for one who is as beautiful as yourself! You resemble the cherry blossoms with such grace and you're the mother of my finest pupil," He said making Sakura blush a little.

"Oh… Thank you Lee," She said. "Well I just wanted to let you know that I'm here to pick up my son as well as Akio Nara,"

"Certainly! Please be careful on your way out and always keep going with the power of youth!" he said while saluting them.

"Uh...Thank you Lee," she said. She turned to the boys and took them by the hands, "Come on boys," she said as they walked to the car.

* * *

**Yamanaka Dance Studio**

Ino was relieved when half the class had gone home. Many of their parents came by after she made some phone calls. Now it was down to only a handful of them that needed some Band-Aids. Akira was trying calm Suki down, who was still very much upset about the earthquake. She wasn't injured at all, but she was still frightened.

Shikamaru had called earlier saying that he was okay and that he would be home late due to some research damages that resulted from the earthquake. Ino was also very worried about Akio. She didn't know how he would react to situations like this.

"Mommy!" came Akio's voice. She turned around and was relieved to see her son running towards her. Akio ran right into her arms.

"Oh my baby, thank goodness you safe," said Ino while kissing his forehead.

"Hey Ino," said Sakura. She was carrying a first aid kit with Sora right next to her. "Where's Suki?" she asked.

"Over there with Akira," she said while pointing in their direction. Sakura made her way towards them. She saw Suki in the corner with her head on her knees with Akira standing close by.

"Suki," said Sakura. Suki looked up with her tear stained face and saw Sakura kneeling before her with a smile on her face. "Come here sweetie," she said while bringing Suki into a hug. Suki hugged her back and began to cry all over again.

"Shhh, its okay, its okay," she soothed while stroking Suki's hair to calm her.

"Where's… (Sniff)… my daddy?" she said in between sobs. Sakura wiped her tears with a napkin.

"He'll be home later. Your daddy has a lot of people to take care of back at work. You'll stay with me until he comes okay?" she asked.

"(Sniff)… okay," said Suki. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying so much.

"Listen Suki, can you help me fix everyone's cuts?" asked Sakura. "Can you be my little helper?"

Suki nodded her head with a small smile. "Okay." She said while getting up of the floor.

"Sora can you help too sweetie?" asked Sakura. Sora nodded his head and together the three of them went around to all the girls that were injured and began to bandage them up.

Sakura bandaged them, while having Suki and Sora handed her various supplies form the first aid kit. Suki felt much better after having something to distract her from the shock. She was also glad that she was with Sora's mommy.

After they were done, Sakura left the dance studio with Sora and Suki. Ino still had to stay behind and wait for all the parents to come and pick up their kids.

Sakura drove back to her house. They made it there later than usual due to the traffic that piled up from the earthquake. The three of them entered the house and got settled.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV**:

It was now 11:00 PM and as if the earthquake wasn't enough, it had also started raining like mad. Sasuke was up to his neck in damage control at the hospital. There were a few minor problems that resulted from the earthquake but nothing too major. The paper work was a pain of course but other than that, he was anxious to get to Suki.

He had called Sakura earlier and got direction to her house. She told him where the spare key was to her condo so he could just walk right in.

He parked outside her building and stepped out of the car. When he got to her front door, he found the potted plants where she kept a spare key hidden. Sasuke pulled the key out from underneath the pot of flowers and quietly opened the door.

He walked in and saw that there was some light coming from what appeared to be the living room.

"Sasuke? Is that you?" he heard her ask. Sasuke walked a bit further and found her sitting on the couch with both Suki and Sora in her arms. Suki was wearing what appeared to be Sora's t-shirt and sweat pants.

"Sorry it took so long," he said as he walked closer and kneeled in front of her. Sakura had changed her outfit into a red full hands cotton shirt and black drawstring pants. Suki was cuddled comfortably in her lap while Sora was sleeping at her side on the couch. There was a blanket that covered them nicely.

"It's no problem at all," She said. Suki fidgeted a bit in Sakura's arms. She settled back down when Sakura ran her fingers through Suki's short black hair.

"How was she?" he asked. He noticed that Suki looked particularly worn out.

"Oh, she was just scared from the earthquake. Poor thing was crying until I got there. She was asking for you all day," said Sakura.

Sasuke looked up at her for a moment before looking back down at Suki. He ran hand over the side of Suki's face and sighed.

"I know it's hard for you Sasuke," said Sakura.

"Hn," he said.

"Do you still want to take her home? I mean it's late and she's sound asleep," Said Sakura. "Not to mention the weather is just crazy out there,"

"I don't want to impose on you Sakura," he said.

"It's no problem at all," she insisted. "She shouldn't have to wake up again. She's had a long day and she can sleep here with Sora,"

"Alright then," said Sasuke. Sakura looked like she was about to get up, but found that she couldn't. Not with Sora next to her anyway.

"I'll get him," said Sasuke. He lifted Sora from the couch and allowed Sakura to get up as she held Suki.

"His rooms upstairs," she said as the two of them began to climb the stairs. They entered Sora's room and placed Suki and Sora into his racecar bed, which was big enough for the two of them.

Sakura pulled the blanket over them and kissed each of their heads. Suki woke up slightly.

"Hi sweetie, your daddy's here," whispered Sakura as Sasuke knelt down beside her. Suki looked up at him and yawned.

"Daddy," she said sleepily.

"Goodnight Tenshi," said Sasuke as he watched her eyes close. Sasuke watched as Sakura tucked them in and smiled at them. The two of them left Sora's room and went down stairs.

"Would you like some tea?" asked Sakura as they entered the kitchen.

"Sure," said Sasuke. He sat at the table and watched her place a kettle on the stovetop. The rain was really pouring outside.

"How was everything at the hospital?" asked Sakura as she stood by the kettle.

"The foundation seems to be fine and there were no need for the backup generators. Besides the paper work, everything should be back on track," He said.

"That's good. What a time for an earthquake huh?" she asked.

"Hn," The kettle started boiling and Sakura took it off the stove and grabbed two cups from the cabinet. Lightning could be seen and heard from outside. It was almost October and the seasons sure were changing.

Sakura poured the tea into the cups and handed one to Sasuke while she took her own and stood on the opposite side of the counter across from him.

After a few moments of silence, Sakura spoke up.

"We never really finished talking about your test results," said Sakura.

"What's there to say?" asked Sasuke. "You've made your point that I have stress," said Sasuke while sipping his tea.

"Yes, I've made the diagnosis," said Sakura. "But I haven't given you a treatment plan yet,"

Sasuke looked at her inquisitively. "What treatment?" he asked.

"You show signs of pre-hypertension. It's completely stress induced which means your treatment will be more of a lifestyle change than anything," She said. "For one thing, you're going to have to lay off on the amount of paper work that you do at work," she said.

"That is something I can't do," he said. "One day off course and the work piles up," He said while sipping more of his tea.

"Sasuke, if you don't take care of this now, it can become permanent. You're way too young to be having this kind of problem. High blood pressure is known as the silent killer. Although you may not feel anything now, the long term affects are severe," she warned.

"Hn," he replied.

"This could actually be a great benefit for you," said Sakura. "Take some time off work and hang around with Suki; get some father daughter bonding time in. You'll relax and spend time with your kid,"

Sasuke looked up at her for a minute. He would love nothing more than to spend an entire day with Suki, but he couldn't neglect his work. Taking a break was something that was so foreign to him that the mere thought of waking up and not going to the hospital just seemed so ridiculous.

"I know I loved it when my dad would take off work to be with me," said Sakura with a small smile. She looked at Sasuke who was looking back at her as if asking her to continue.

"My dad is the Police Commander of the Kyoto Police Department; needless to say that his job was very time consuming. But he always made time for me," She said while looking at the wall. "Suki and I are very similar," she said while looking back at Sasuke.

"_In more ways than you know_," he thought. "Is your father still working?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, he's the best of the best and still pretty young for being my dad. He's been in the force for over 25 years. They're not about to let him go now. He'll always be Commander Hatake Kakashi," She said proudly.

"Hatake? Your last name's Haruno," he stated.

"Haruno was my mother's maiden name," said Sakura. "My dad told me that he wanted me to carry on her name, so I did. Even after I got married, I still kept my name as Haruno. If not I would be Sakura Arisugaki," Sakura chuckled a bit.

Sasuke just looked perplexed.

"My husband told me that his name didn't suit me well, so he also encouraged me to keep my last name. But Sora carries his father's name," she added.

"I see," Said Sasuke. "So you're known as the spring cherry blossom?"

"Yes I am," said Sakura. She sipped her coffee as the lightning struck again. The lights flickered ominously before power went out, cascading them in darkness.

"Oh perfect," said Sakura sarcastically. "Hang on, I'll see if I can get some candles," she said as she shifted around to the cabinets occasionally bumping into things along the way. The kitchen was pitch black and she couldn't see anything except whenever the lightning struck to light it up.

"Need help?" asked Sasuke as he stood up to. His eyes didn't quite adjust to the darkness yet and the constant lighting didn't help either.

"Oh no, I'm fine," Said Sakura as she found the drawer with the spare candles. She shifted around to find the lighter. She lighted the two candles and turned around only to find Sasuke standing right behind her. In her surprise, she dropped the light candles onto the tiled floor causing the flames to die out and the candles to roll somewhere on the floor.

"You scarred me!" she hissed. He just shrugged.

"Do you have any more candles?" he asked.

"Sadly no," she said." It's too dark to even try to find the other two. I have a flashlight but for the life of me I have no idea where I put it,"

"Well that makes perfect sense," he said sarcastically.

"We just moved in, give me a break," She said. They made their way over the counter again. "I guess the best thing to do is just wait until the power comes back on,"

"Yeah," said Sasuke. Sakura felt around for her teacup. In the process, she grabbed Sasuke's hand on accident.

"Sorry," she said. He didn't say anything in response. "Sasuke?" she asked. He was just standing there and due to the lack of light, all she could see was his silhouette.

"What?" he asked. Just then the lighting struck again illuminating the kitchen.

For a brief second, Sakura saw Sasuke's face. Then the lighting struck again and her heart saw Sai's face… looking down at her. Sakura gasped and dropped her teacup, which shattered on the ground.

"What the-Sakura, are you okay?" asked Sasuke. The lights came back on and Sasuke could see the damage on the floor. Sakura's ankle seemed to be cut and there was a bit of blood trailing down her foot.

But that didn't seem to be the major problem here. Sakura looked like she had seen a ghost. She was just standing there, staring at him. Her eyes looked so…frozen.

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly. "Sakura!" he said forcefully as she snapped back to reality.

"What?" she said as she looked up at him. He was looking at her with confusion and a bit of…concern?

"What happened?" he asked. She just shook her head and breathed in. That was definitely scary. One minute she saw Sasuke, then the lightning strikes and the next minute she saw Sai. It was like something out of a horror movie.

"Nothing," she whispered without looking him in the eye. She knew it was just s trick of the light. But still, something told her that there was more to it than that.

"_Why_?" she thought. "_Why did I see him_?"

* * *

**Authors NotE: Hello all you reviewers out there. This took up 50 pages and roughly more than 11,000 words. I felt bad for not updating sooner so I busted my butt trying to get this chapter done. It was a little longer than what I wanted so I had to cut some of the chapter out for the next one. **


	11. Promises Left Unspoken

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 11: Promises Left Unspoken**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

"Your ankle," Sasuke said. Sakura looked confused before she looked down and saw that she was bleeding.

"What? Oh it doesn't seem deep," she mumbled. "I just…I just need to… clean it…" she said distractedly. She stepped away from Sasuke. He reached out for her shoulder and forced her to sit down on the chair.

"Where's your first aid kit?" he asked, walking around the kitchen.

"You don't-"

"Where is it Sakura?" he demanded, effectively cutting her off. "I'm still your boss," he added. Sakura would have argued that it didn't matter in this setting, but pointed to the top cabinet anyway.

He brought the kit out and walked towards her. She was staring at the floor with a clouded expression, and seemed as though she was trying not to look him in the eyes. This bothered him because this was the second time she's become reclusive. Something was clearly bothering her but Sasuke decided not to ask her anything. It wasn't his business to know everything about her.

Sasuke sat on the stool next to her and opened the kit. This one seemed to be the adult version of her kiddy first-aid kit. It had plain bandages and a bigger bottle of regular alcohol among other things.

He looked at Sakura's face; she was still out of it. Just what was it that freaked her out so much? From his point of view, the lightning struck and he saw her face for a second. Then it struck again and he could see that she looked shocked and he knew that _he_ was the cause.

Sasuke grabbed her ankle and pulled it upward until it was sitting across his lap. The gesture made Sakura to grab onto the counter behind her to prevent her from falling over.

"Sasuke! At least tell me when you're going to do that!" said Sakura. Sasuke ignored that outburst and just held onto her ankle with one hand while grabbing a cotton pad with the other.

"I didn't want to interrupt your daydream," he said. She pouted in annoyance and readjusted herself so that she could sit more comfortably. Sasuke dabbed the cotton with the alcohol and rubbed it against the cut.

Sakura flinched at the burning contact and tried to pull her leg away but Sasuke grabbed it before she could.

"I can do that myself." She said while trying to get away. Sasuke's hand had a good grip on her foot preventing her from doing so.

"Hn," he said. "I suppose even doctors can't handle the burn of alcohol,"

He enjoyed her look of incredulity.

"Hey…I can take on alcohol sting better than you. It's just a little awkward having my foot sitting across your lap," she said with a microscopic blush.

"Get over it _Dr_. Haruno," said Sasuke as he continued to clean the cut. It must have been deeper than she thought because it wouldn't stop bleeding. He pressed a little harder and Sakura let out a small hiss.

"Ow…" said Sakura. Sasuke stopped pressing her ankle and brought it up higher to his face so that he could inspect it.

Sakura started to panic. From the way he moved it looked like he was going to…to kiss her foot. She froze as he got closer. She held her breath as his face stopped a few centimeters away from her ankle. She could feel his hot breath on her skin as he inspected the cut.

If anyone were to walk in right now, they would find Sasuke and Sakura in a very…unusual position. To her relief, he placed her foot back down on his lap and turned to look at her.

"It looks like there's a piece of the shattered cup lodged in there," he noted.

Sakura blinked before quickly pulling her foot away and looked at it herself. She pressed the area and could feel what he was talking about.

"Damn," she said. "Can you hand me those tweezers?" She asked pointing to the first aid kit. He complied and handed them to her. She proceeded to get the blasted piece of ceramic out of her foot, but so far, no success.

Sasuke watched in amusement as the all mighty Dr. Haruno Sakura suddenly became a novice who couldn't even remove a splinter like object from her own foot. She was saying "Ow" every two seconds.

Sasuke took the tweezers out of her hand and grabbed her foot again.

"Sasuke! I was doing just fine!" she said while trying to grab the tweezers back.

"At this rate, you're just going to hurt yourself even more," He said. He carefully began to pick at the ankle until the tiny shard finally came out. "There," he said as he placed the shard on the counter.

Sakura just pouted in defeat as Sasuke disinfected and wrapped the cut, which was bleeding more from removing the shard. She watched as he carefully wrapped the bandages around her foot with that stupid smirk on his face.

She wanted to wipe that smirk off his face with her dainty foot, which his hands held delicately and it was then that she noticed just how gentle he was being with her.

You wouldn't think that a man like Sasuke would be gentle. From the outward appearance, Sasuke looked more like a man that would break you with his height, lean muscular build, dark and almost rebellious hairstyle, and his eyes; those mysterious, steely, black orbs that had her so flustered on the night of the recital.

"Maybe you should have become a doctor," she said as he released her freshly bandaged foot from his grasp.

"I'm not particularly good with people, as I'm sure you've noticed," he responded before picking up his cup of tea and taking a sip.

"No, I don't think it's that," said Sakura as she got up to clean the mess on the floor. The lighting wouldn't let up and the rain continued to pour down hard. "I think you're not good with annoying people, like those nurses from this afternoon," She said as she swept the glass with a broom. "Personally I don't blame you for that. Working in a hospital tends to make people a little nutty," She said as she threw the trash into the trashcan.

"But, I know that you're not as antisocial as you claim to be. You've got friends like Naruto, Neji and Shikamaru and you've raised the sweetest little girl I've ever met," She said as she took her seat on the stool next to him.

"Hn," He said. They sat in the kitchen for a few minutes, neither saying a word to each other. The lighting and thunder continued as the awkward atmosphere grew. Sasuke looked at the clock. It was 11:45pm. Now that Suki would be spending the night, he figured that he should get going. There was nothing more to do and he was sure that Sakura needed her rest.

Sasuke got up and faced her. "I'll be going then," he said as he started walking towards the door.

"Are you crazy?" asked Sakura, who got up and was limping slightly from the cut, mixed with alcohol on her ankle. "Your plan on driving in that?" she said as she pointed to the storm outside the window.

"I'll be fine," he said but Sakura wouldn't have it.

"I'm not about to let you run out and get into an accident. You can stay here," she offered.

Sasuke sighed. "Look, I appreciate the offer, but this isn't right. I already told you that I don't want to impose on you,"

"You're not imposing," she insisted. "Do you really expect me as a doctor, not to know what can happen when you drive in these conditions? And do you expect me as a friend to just let you drive to a possible death?" She asked while limping towards him.

"Sakura-"

"No Sasuke. There's no room for argument," She said cutting him off. "You can stay in the guest bedroom. It would really make me feel better if you didn't drive tonight," she pleaded.

Sasuke looked at her and sighed again. She was being melodramatic, but…"_Damn those eyes_," he thought. . They were like Suki's puppy dog eyes, only Sakura's were less innocent and more…he didn't even know. All he knew was that he was somehow, unable to say no to those eyes…or to her.

After a quick debate in his mind, Sasuke consented. What's the worst that could happen? It's not like anyone from work would find out about this.

"Hn," he said while shoving his hands into his coat pocket.

"Do I take that as a yes?" she asked. Sasuke looked at her as if his response was obvious. She was still looking at him as if expecting a straight answer.

"I'll stay here for the night," He said while looking away and scratching the side of his face. He really felt awkward depending on a woman for any kind of support.

"Great," Said Sakura. "I'll get you some clothes," She said while running, more like limping up the stairs.

Sakura went into her closet and shuffled through the back. She had some of Sai's old clothes that she liked to wear herself stored there. She pulled out a pair of black sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt. It was a little cold tonight due to all the rain.

Sakura looked at the clothes and then briefly wondered what she was doing. These were her husband's clothes that have been worn only by him…and her. Was she really okay with Sasuke wearing them?

She shook her head and cleared her thoughts. She was the one that insisted that he stay here. The least she could do was make him comfortable. She hopped back down the stairs and found Sasuke sitting on the couch waiting for her. He got up when he saw her.

"Here," she said as she handed them to him. "They should fit," she added as he took them from her.

"Thanks," said Sasuke.

"The guest room is down the hall. There's a bathroom right next to it. Just make yourself at home," she said before yawning.

"Alright then," said Sasuke. They both just stood there in the living room, not knowing what to do at this point. Sakura looked up at him as he looked down at her. The only noise that could be heard was the rain and thunder from outside.

"Well…goodnight Sasuke," she said. "And…uh…thanks for this," she said while pointing at her bandaged foot.

"Hn," he said. "Goodnight," he said while walking down the hall.

Sakura watched him leave for a second before going upstairs again. She walked towards Sora's room to check on the kids one more time. She smiled at what she saw.

As usual, Sora was sprawled across the bed with one foot hanging off the side with his arms flung out. Suki on the other hand was curled up into the corner near the wall. Sakura came over and gently placed Sora back onto the bed and re-tucked him in. Suki stirred and Sakura noticed that she was shivering a bit.

She went to Sora's closet and pulled out a thicker comforter. She placed it over both Suki and Sora. She brushed the bangs out of Suki's face and smiled down at her. She really was the cutest little girl Sakura had ever seen. She was so adorable and innocent.

After making sure that the kids were fine, Sakura went back to her room and climbed into bed. She let her thoughts drift for a bit before they finally settled into what she usually thinks about before sleeping…Sai.

**The Next Morning**:

Sasuke woke up at roughly 5AM that morning. After merely six hours of sleep, his internal clock forced him out of bed. It took a few seconds before it registered that he was not in his house. Recalling last night's events, Sasuke realized that he and Suki would need to be going home soon so that he can get ready for work and Suki can get ready for school.

He went across the hall and into the guest bathroom to freshen up. After doing so, he went into the kitchen and found Sakura's coffee pot and made whatever coffee that she had available. He grabbed a mug from the cabinet where Sakura got the teacups and walked into the living room. He found the remote and turned the TV on to watch the morning news.

Most of the broadcast was on the earthquake from yesterday and all the damage that was caused from it. One particular announcement caught his interest.

"_Several injuries resulted from the quake sending dozens of citizens to the nearest hospitals available. Thus far, Konoha Medical Center has been the facility with the most in-patients admitted as of yesterday. Known for its range of specialties, top notch medical staff and accommodations, there is no doubt that KMC will remain true to its standards and provide nothing but the best patient care," _

Sasuke had to admit that he felt a sense of accomplishment from that announcement. KMC was the foundation of his family's success and it was good to be acknowledged by the public. After flipping through the different news stations, one more announcement caught his interest.

"_Several schools are claiming this day off due to the need for organization and preparation for the students to return. __Parents are advised to keep their children indoors for the next 24 hours with emergency supplies in reach in case of any concurrent aftershocks. __The following schools are closed: Konoha Leaf Academy, Tok…"_

Sasuke stopped listening at that point.

He turned the TV off. Now that might serve as a problem. With all the new business at work, Sasuke knew he would have to be there and oversee the order. He knew Sakura would definitely not be able to watch the kids; being the doctor that she is, she would be needed there more than anything.

"_No choice but to see what she says_," he thought. It was around 6: 30 in the morning and Sasuke wondered when Sakura would wake up. He still needed to get home regardless of what she would do but he didn't want to just take Suki and leave without her knowledge of it.

Sasuke heard the phone ring. He couldn't exactly pick it up seeing as how this was not his house. He heard some shuffling upstairs and the sound of rushed footsteps. The next thing he saw was quite amusing.

"I'm coming," shouted Sakura as if the phone had ears. Sasuke saw her race down the stairs half awake. Her shirt was wrinkled and her hair was a mess; plus her bandage was still intact. She practically dived for the phone across the counter. Sasuke briefly wondered if this was the only phone in her house.

"Hello?" said Sakura after picking up the phone. "Hello…oh really now? I see, well thank you for calling, bye." She said as she hung up and sighed. She turned from the counter and jumped when she saw Sasuke on the couch.

"Oh my…!" she said while clutching her chest. "You scarred me. I forgot that you're here," she admitted as she walked over to him.

"It seems more like you completely forgot," said Sasuke with a small smirk. Sakura rolled her eyes at him and she sat down on the opposite end of the couch.

"The school just called," she informed.

"The kids have the day off," said Sasuke. "It was on the news," he said when he saw her questioning face. "Not only Konoha Leaf Academy but several other schools in the city as well,"

"Oh," said Sakura. "When did you get up anyway?"

"Around 5," he answered. Sakura eyes widened.

"How can you get up so early on your own free will?" she asked while letting her head fall back on the couch.

"I'm not one for sleeping in," said Sasuke.

"That much is obvious from your stress test," She said as Sasuke gave her a look.

"How long do you plan on holding on to that test?" he asked.

"As long as it takes for you to bring those high blood pressure levels down," she said. "I'll enlist Naruto's help," she said.

"You expect the Dobe to help reduce my stress?" he asked as if she were stupid.

"Why not? He's your best friend and he only wants to help," Said Sakura. "It's sweet really. He's truly concerned about your health, like I am," She said thoughtfully.

"Hn," he said. Sakura sighed. "Suki and I should get going now,"

"Its 6:30 Sasuke," she said giving him a look. "Let the poor girl sleep. It's not like she needs to wake up at dawn like you,"

"I need to get to the hospital as soon as possible," He said. "There'll be more work than ever,"

"Why don't you take the day off?" said Sakura. "You're the CEO you don't have to be there every single day. You make your own schedule. And this way you can spend some time with Suki," she said.

"She'll be staying at my parents' house. I need to get to work," he said while standing. He was still wearing the clothes that Sakura had given him and he needed to change before he left.

"Sasuke, I'm serious," said Sakura. "I know it's tempting for you run to the hospital and all, but you should really take some time off and be with Suki. Do you know how many times she asked for you yesterday?" said Sakura.

Sasuke turned around and looked at her.

"She hasn't seen you at all except to say goodnight and now you're telling me that you'd rather work than be with your own daughter?" she said unbelievingly.

"This can't be helped," said Sasuke.

"Yes it can," said Sakura. "It's one day off. One day with your daughter. You know how much that would mean to her?"

"And what about you?" asked Sasuke. "Aren't you going to be leaving your son to get to work?"

"I'm a doctor with patients that need me Sasuke; it's completely different from you. I'm going to call Ino and see if she can watch him until I get back," she said.

Just then, they both heard a small voice from upstairs.

"Daddy?" said Suki. Sasuke and Sakura turned their heads to the top of the stair case where the saw Suki in Sora's clothes. She looked tired and her hair was messy but once she saw Sasuke, she quickly climbed down the stairs.

"Daddy!" said Suki as she ran up to Sasuke. He picked her up and she clung to him tightly.

"Hey Tenshi, why'd you wake up?" asked Sasuke as he kissed the top of her head.

"The phone rang…and I missed you," mumbled Suki into his shoulder while hugging his neck tighter. Sasuke felt guilt wash over him for not being with her all day. He chanced a glance at Sakura, who was smiling at him…either that or she was slyly smirking at him.

"_Now he'll never be able to say no to a day off_," she thought. Suki sure did have good timing.

"Are you going to… (yawn) … leave again?" asked Suki innocently. Sasuke looked into her big green, tired eyes and sighed in defeat.

"No…I'm not. We'll stay home today, just you and me," Said Sasuke. Suki smiled and hugged him again.

"Okay" said Suki before another voice was heard from the top of the staircase.

"Mommy," came Sora's whining voice. Sakura looked up at him and smiled again. Sora had some bed hair but he was obviously still sleepy judging by the way he was rubbing his eyes. He was also missing one sock, but that was normal.

"Hi sweetie," she greeted. "I'm surprised you're awake," she said as Sora came down the stairs. Sakura bent down and kissed the top of his head when he got next to her. Sora realized that Sasuke was here…in pajamas.

Now, all Sora could remember was that Suki was here yesterday, but she was supposed to go home with her dad. But why was he here? He couldn't help but get that strange feeling again when he saw Sasuke wear those clothes.

"Mommy, are you gonna go to work?" asked Sora after looking away from Sasuke. Sakura's smile faltered for a bit. She knelt down to his level.

"Yeah…sorry sweet heart. I have a lot of people to take care of," she said running her hands through Sora's hair. "But I'm going to see if Aunty Ino can watch you, and then you can play with Akio. You guys don't have to go to school today,"

"When are you coming home?" said Sora. He wouldn't admit it, but after yesterday, he felt scared without his mom around.

"As soon as I can, I promise," said Sakura as she hugged him. She let go and got up with a cheerful face. "Well, since we're all up, who wants breakfast?" she asked.

Sasuke internally sweat dropped. "_How can she be so…perky, this early in the day_?" he thought. They agreed to stay and joined them for breakfast. Afterwards, Sasuke decided it was best to get home. It was almost 8:00 AM by then.

"Remember Sasuke," said Sakura, as he was about to leave. "You have the day off. Don't even think about coming near the hospital," she said. She was already dressed in her blue scrubs.

Sasuke starred at her questioningly. She was the one that worked for him, so where did she get the nerve to tell him what to do? She had guts; that's for sure. No woman has ever told him what to do, in fear of facing his wrath.

But Sakura was different. There was something about her that had Sasuke intrigued. He looked down at Suki, who was sitting in the floor and putting her shoes on. She was dressed in her ballet uniform, since that's what she was wearing when she came here.

Tying her shoes was something that she never quite got the hang of yet, so she was having some trouble getting them on. Sasuke was about to kneel down to help her, but Sakura beat him to it.

"Here Suki," she said as she took the laces from her and tied them. Suki smiled at her and that's when Sasuke remembered the night when Suki asked whom her mother was.

Looking at Sakura and Suki, Sasuke also remembered the promise he made to himself. He promised to find her a mother…but also a woman she could call "Mommy".

"Thank you," said Suki as she smiled up at Sakura.

"You're welcome sweetie," said Sakura. Suki stood up and took Sasuke's hand.

"Right then," said Sasuke as Sakura stood up. "Thank you…for everything," said Sasuke as he looked down at her.

"Anytime," said Sakura. "You know Suki is welcome here whenever she wants," she said smiling down at the girl.

"Thanks," said Sasuke. "I'll see you at work," said Sasuke.

"Not today," she reminded. Sasuke nodded in understanding. Sakura knelt down and hugged Suki before seeing them off.

As she watched them drive off, Sakura couldn't help but feel like…she was watching her husband and child off to work and school. Shaking her head, Sakura decided that she was just making something out of nothing at all.

Still…she had a feeling. She didn't know what it was or if it was good or bad. It was just something she would have to figure out.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: much later in the day**

Sasuke and Suki decided to go out and spend the rest of the day together, as suggested by Sakura. Sasuke, not being one for days off, didn't really know what to do with Suki so when he asked her what she wanted to do, she immediately wanted to go to the park.

"The park it is then," he said as he drove them there.

When they got there, Suki went ahead and played on the equipment while Sasuke stood near her and watched. They had small conversations about small things such as school and her friends.

There were two people however, that Suki couldn't get enough of. Every other thing was about either Sakura or Sora.

"We're you scarred yesterday Tenshi?" asked Sasuke as Suki swung on the swings.

"Uh huh," she said. "It was scary. But then Aunty Sakura came and I felt better," she said as Sasuke pushed the swings.

"You really like Sora's mommy…don't you?" asked Sasuke.

"Uh huh," said Suki.

"Why?" asked Sasuke. He was curious to know what his daughter thought about the annoying pink haired woman.

"Because she's nice and pretty and she smells like flowers and she makes good pancakes and she fixes my boo boo's and she gave me a necklace," Said Suki really quickly. "And she has the same eyes as me."

"Really now," said Sasuke.

"Yeah," said Suki. "I like Sora too. He can draw really cool stuff and he's nice to me," said Suki. "We helped fix everybody with his mommy yesterday. She say's I'm her little helper," she said proudly as she got off the swing.

Sasuke watched her as she smiled as wide as she could. "I wanna be just like Sora's mommy when I grow up," she said as she ran to the jungle gym.

Sasuke knew that she liked Sakura, but he didn't know that she liked her that much, although he couldn't really blame Suki.

For the short amount of time the he's known her, Sasuke came to know Sakura as a very gentle and caring person…with a bit of fire on the inside. She was clearly a loving mother and dedicated doctor; Sakura was all the things that he respected in a person and Suki clearly loved her.

"_But…do I see her in that light_?" thought Sasuke as he watched Suki play on the jungle gym. As he watched her smiling face, Sasuke could think of nothing more than wanting to have her to smile like that forever.

"_I want her to be happy_," he thought. "_It's up to me, to keep her smiling._"

The sun was setting and Suki and Sasuke decided to go out and get some dinner. On the way into town, Sasuke made a plan for himself. He was going to find Suki a mother, which meant that he would need to start dating again. The question is with who.

He was certainly never going to succumb to an arranged marriage again and he wasn't close to any particular woman. He didn't even think he knew what he wanted in a potential date.

Just then, his mind showed him images of pink hair and green eyes. She seemed to be the only one at this point. The only woman who never got clingy to him, the woman who treated him as a friend, who annoyed him with little things, who was commanding and caring at the same time. She was the only woman that could make his precious daughter smile a mile wide.

Sakura Haruno.

Was he really going to consider dating her? She's a doctor at his hospital. If it didn't work out, they would have to see each other all the time. Not to mention that she did have her annoying moments.

But still…she was undeniably beautiful. He could no longer deny the fact that he was indeed checking her out that night at the recital. He was, after all, a man…and men notice these things. He noticed a lot of things during the physical exam.

Her hands were so soft against him. They were both gentle and in control of their actions. The earthquake was another thing altogether.

The way her body was pressed against his bare chest so intimately was playing through his mind. Yes, he noticed how she felt against him. He wouldn't deny that he liked it either. Granted that it was during an emergency but it didn't matter.

"_It's risky_," thought Sasuke. "_But I'm doing this for you_," he thought as he watched his daughter from the rear view mirror.

He would consider asking Sakura out on a date. Consider it, and see what her deal is, because she also had a child she needed to consider. They both had demanding jobs and balancing that with their children was tough enough as it was.

Would they be able to make it? Would she even want to date him? All these things had to be considered before he made a move. And he'll be damned if he let anyone know about his little agenda; especially Naruto. The Dobe couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life. No…he needed to be discreet.

"_I need to know_," he thought. "_For Suki_,"

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

Sakura sighed as she grabbed her purse from underneath her desk and walked out of her office. Today was hectic with all the new patients from the earthquake. Quite a few of them were expectant mothers who needed checkups to see if their baby was okay.

Sakura's hands were tied all day. It was almost 6:00 PM and she needed to pick up Sora. Ino was watching him with her two kids as well. Sakura felt guilty the entire day about leaving Sora with her, but it couldn't be helped.

As she got into the car and drove off, she replayed all the events she had to deal with today. She got to thinking about last night and the following morning.

She didn't realize it until then, but last night was the first night that she has ever had a man sleep in her house, that wasn't her husband.

"_It's not like it was anything bad,"_ she thought. But still, the fact that Sasuke, her boss, had spent the night in her home left her with an unsettled feeling.

She probably wouldn't be feeling that way if Sasuke didn't remind her of Sai so much. "_He's not Sai…but I can't help but think of him when I'm with Sasuke,"_ she thought.

Sakura knew that she would have to move on eventually. Sora needed a father after all to do father-son stuff; stuff that she wouldn't be able to do with him.

Often times, she felt selfish for depriving him of a father. He deserved someone to guide him and teach him things about being a man; someone smart and strong and kindhearted; someone who'll set him straight when he messes up and give him the guidance that a son needs.

"_But he had a father,"_ she thought. "_He had a wonderful father. But…Sasuke's a great dad too," _

Sasuke was very loving when it came to his daughter; that much was obvious. It was so ironic from his usual brooding persona.

What Sakura noticed was that she found herself thinking more about him…or rather, thinking about him and Sai. But why was she doing it? That was the question.

She recalled Tenten's question about moving on.

"_I understand that you loved Sai. I really do. But you have to move on eventually and you have to stop using every excuse you can to avoid the subject. Think about Sora. He's going to need a father figure as he gets older. And do you really want to spend the rest of your life alone?"_

Of course she didn't. No one wants to be alone, not truly anyway. But seeing Sasuke and thinking about Sai made her think about the topic of moving on more and more.

What she didn't know was whether or not she was thinking about this because it related to Sasuke or it was _because_ of Sasuke.

He's a very handsome man. But there was something about him that had Sakura drawn to him. It was like, she could relate to him. He knew where she was coming from when it came to their kids, but there was something more about him that had Sakura confused.

Was she drawn to him for him? Or because he reminded her of her lost love?

She pulled up to Ino's house and walked up to the door. After knocking a couple of times, the door opened to reveal Ino who was dressed in pajama bottoms and a purple top.

"Hey forehead, you finally decided to show huh?" asked Ino as she let Sakura in.

"I'm so sorry about that Ino-pig," she said. "Where's Sora?" she asked.

"Upstairs with Akio," she answered. "Those two have been at it for a while. They're practicing for their Karate class,"

"Sora your mom's here," called Ino from downstairs. Sakura could hear the sound of footsteps running around the hall and out came Sora, followed closely by Akio.

"Hi Sora," said Sakura as she hugged him.

"You're home late," said Sora while he hugged her. Sakura tightened her grip on him.

"I'm sorry sweetie," she said while kissing his forehead. "But you had fun here right?" she asked. He nodded his head.

"Why don't you guys stay for dinner?" asked Ino. "I'm attempting to make some use out of my kitchen and if all else fails, we'll order in,"

"Sure. Thanks Ino. Where's Shikamaru?" asked Sakura.

"I made him go out and get some juice boxes for the kids. He should be back soon," she said.

After Ino's attempted to make dinner, which went by smoothly since Sakura was there to help her, the two made their way to the patio in the back of their house to do some girl talk.

"So how've you been Sakura?" asked Ino.

"Fine," she answered; exhaustion evident in her voice. "Works going well and Sora seems to be adjusting nicely,"

"You want to talk about it?" asked Ino.

"Talk about what?" asked Sakura. Ino gave her a knowing look.

"The thing that's been bothering you since you got here," she said. "Don't try to deny it either,"

Sakura sighed. She and Ino were best friends back in the day and even then, she could read Sakura like a book." Tenten and I had a discussion when I first got here about…me moving on…with someone," She said.

"…Oh," said Ino. "Well, do you want to?"

"…I…don't really know," she admitted. "But…I think about Sora and…I know that I have to move on for him. He deserves to have a father around,"

"I know Sakura. But it's not all about him. This is about finding love again. To be with someone who loves you for you. That's what moving on is all about," said Ino.

Sakura stayed quiet. She knew that…and that was the problem. Sure, she might be able to move on…but would she ever be able to love a man as much as she loved Sai?

"That's what's so hard about this," said Sakura. "I don't know if I can love another man. I promised to love Sai forever, and I'll always will," she said looking out at the view.

"Sakura…I've never met Sai," said Ino. "And I know that he was a great man. I mean he'd have to be in order to be able to put up with _you_ right?" said Ino while laughing. Sakura chuckled a bit. "But even so, even though I've never met him, I know…I just know that he wouldn't want you to live in the past. He wouldn't want you to be alone Sakura. He would want you to continue living your life…and to find a man that would love you as much as he did,"

Sakura eyes got watery and soon a few tears slid down her face. Ino patted her arm in a comforting motion as Sakura wiped the tears away.

"I know," she sobbed. "…I know he would…. but I just can't let him go," Said Sakura. "I loved him so much…I don't want to let him go,"

"I know that it's hard Sakura," Ino began. "Life usually is, but you're one of the strongest people I've ever known. You've done things that most people wouldn't even dream of accomplishing. And you're a great mom; you've raised quite a kid. I know you can handle anything that comes your way…and that includes love,"

"Thanks Ino…pig," she said.

They spent a few more minutes talking before Sakura decided it was time to go. After getting Sora, Sakura bid farewell to Ino and drove home. Talking to Ino was nice, but she still had her doubts. Even if she decided to move on, who would she move on with?

Sakura and Sora walked into the kitchen and turned on the lights.

"Would you like some juice Sora?" asked Sakura as she walked to the fridge. Before she could open the fridge door, Sora wrapped his arms around her legs from behind and hugged them tight.

Sakura tried to regain her balance while turning towards him. She knelt down and held his shoulders.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" asked Sakura as she looked into Sora's eyes. Sora looked like he was trying hard not to cry.

"Yesterday was…(sniff)…scary and I…(sniff)…missed you," he said as he lunged into her arms.

Sakura's heart broke when he said that. Her baby was scared and she left him alone. Sakura held him tightly and kissed his head.

"Oh…I'm so sorry sweetie, I'm sorry I left you alone," she said as she kissed him again. "I'm here now," she said. "Mommy's right here," she said as she picked him up and took him to the living room.

She sat down on the couch with him in her arms. She held him close and ran her hands through his hair in an affectionate manner. The action always seemed to sooth Sora. Even as a tiny baby, whenever Sora would become fussy, Sakura would just sit with him in her arms and brush her fingers through his hair for a while and he would fall asleep.

"Mommy," said Sora, who was beginning to get droopy eyed.

"Yeah Sora?" she asked.

"…Why was Suki's dad here?" he asked. That threw Sakura off for a bit.

"Umm…he came to get Suki, but it was raining too much for them to go home, so they both stayed here," said Sakura. "Why?"

Sora didn't answer her. Instead he just snuggled closer to her. Sakura looked down at him. He looked so much like Sai.

"You know Sora," said Sakura as Sora began to doze off. "You're so much like your daddy," she whispered. Sora's eyes opened only a bit.

"_My daddy…"_ thought Sora as he finally went to sleep.

Sakura carefully carried him to his room and tucked him into his racecar bed. She stroked his little head one more time and looked at his face. He was his father's son…and it showed in every way.

As she looked at his sleeping face, Sakura promised herself that she would do everything she could to rebuild her broken family.

Ino was right. Sai wouldn't want her to live like this. He would have wanted her happiness and Sora's as well.

"_I vow to start again,"_ thought Sakura. "_For you baby,"_ she thought as she kissed his forehead.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**Hello reviewers. I know this chapter is chapter is shorter than what I usually write :) but I didn't want to go overboard. I just wanted to get the point across that Sakura and Sasuke are finally ready to start dating again. **

**So of course, I look forward to your reviews. You can expect a lot more Sasuke Sakura moments from now on as well as more on the inside lives of the other pairs. So as usual I'm going to ask if I sucked eggs and if I did, please tell me. The hard part of school has officially ended so I should be able to update more often now. **

**Oh and you know what? There is this Awesome fic out there called "All I ask of You" by Sweet Tradgedy. It's an awesome Sasuke Sakura fic and Sweet Tradgedy thinks it's her worst work ever. Please encourage her that it's brilliant because it really is. (She's probably cursing me right now for advertising)**

…**I heart reviews. **


	12. Getting Somewhere

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 12: Getting Somewhere**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Hyuga household: 7:15 AM**

Dr. Neji Hyuga was a very protective man…very protective indeed. So what's a protective man to do when an earthquake suddenly hits? He simply forbids is pregnant wife from anything and everything he deems as unsafe for her as well as his child.

Therefore Tenten had been sentenced to an unnecessary bed rest and was not permitted to be outdoors or anywhere else but the bedroom.

"Neji, you've gone overboard!" shouted Tenten. She was lying down on their bed in a large black sweater and pants while doing absolutely nothing. Neji was down stairs making breakfast.

He tried to convince her to stay home from work but Tenten put her foot down on that one. "I'm getting up!" she shouted. As she began to get up, Neji came busting through the door with a tray in his hands.

"You're not going anywhere," he said while bringing the tray to her. Tenten pouted and looked at what he made, a traditional Japanese breakfast.

"I know you're trying to be a good husband, but really," she said. "It's not like I can't move around and do stuff for myself," she said while subconsciously bringing her hand to her belly and inching away from the tray. The soup was starting to get to her.

"After that earthquake I'm not taking any chances with you," he said. "You're going to stay here where you're safe. Besides, Sakura said you're not allowed to do anything strenuous,"

"Strenuous not mundane Neji," she clarified. She sighed as he sat next to her.

"I think you shouldn't go to work today," said Neji. Tenten narrowed her eyes at him. "You need to take it easy,"

"Neji, I've practically been stripped of my title as a 'well-respected surgeon'. I will not have you tell me that I'm not allowed to do what little work I can do. It won't hurt the babies," said Tenten.

When Neji didn't say anything, Tenten turned to find him starring at her with a questioning face. "What?" she asked. Neji's eyes traveled to her rounded stomach then back up to her face.

"…Babies?" asked Neji. He saw her eyes widen a fraction before correcting herself.

"What? I mean baby…yeah…it won't hurt the baby," she said while taking the soup. "_Oh crap I almost slipped!"_ she thought. This was the one thing that she knew she could keep from him as long as she could, but she wouldn't be surprised if he found out about it.

"_I just had to marry a genius didn't I?"_ she thought as she brought the soup to her lips. Before she could even taste the soup, she put the spoon down. She didn't feel like throwing up today.

"Neji, can you hand me my B6 vitamins?" she asked. Neji reached for the bottle that was next to the nightstand and handed it to her. She popped the lid and took a tablet while drinking the water that Neji brought her.

"Are you okay?" asked Neji. Tenten placed the glass down and sighed. She turned to Neji and smiled.

"Yeah…I'm fine." She said. Neji looked as though he didn't believe her, but he couldn't do anything about it. He brought her into his arms and lay back down on the bed with her. Tenten snuggled into him and inhaled his scent.

"When is your next appointment with Sakura?" asked Neji.

"In a few weeks," she answered. "I'm scheduled for a second trimester ultrasound. Why?"

Neji just shrugged and re-positioned them so that she was lying on her back and he was lying on his side. He ran his warm hand over her noticeably rounded belly.

"You're growing pretty fast," said Neji. Tenten placed her own hand on her belly and rubbed it as well. Sakura told her that she would be showing faster than normal due to the circumstances. The next two months were going to be her fastest periods of growth and after the second ultrasound, Neji was going to find out.

"I know," said Tenten. "I think I'm feeding him too much," she said.

"Him?" asked Neji. Tenten turned her head and smiled at him.

"I just have a feeling that it's going to be a boy. But then again, I only have that feeling right now. Sometimes I feel like it's a girl too," She said.

"Is that supposed to be your mothers intuition or is that you just being confusing?" he asked. Tenten laughed and shrugged.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" she asked. Neji looked thoughtful. He read somewhere in a certain periodical (coughparenting magazinecough) that these questions could land you in big trouble with your wife if you automatically shout out a preference. So he decided to play it safe.

"Both would be nice," he said. Tenten just gave him a look and rolled her eyes at him. "What?"

"Seriously, boy or girl?" she asked. "Come on Neji," she whined.

"I'm looking forward to either a boy or a girl, Tenten. Besides," he said while carefully hovering over her. "It's not like this will be our only child," he said while smirking.

"_CRAP!" _thought Tenten. "_Don't tell me he figured it out already!"_ she thought.

"What do you mean?" she asked astounded. Neji leaned in and started kissing her neck and working his way up to her cheek.

"I plan on getting you pregnant again…" He said with a kiss to her jaw. "…and again…" he said while kissing her cheek "…and again," he said with a kiss to her lips.

"_Okay…so he didn't figure it out yet," _she thought with relief as she wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. "_…and for now…I don't care,"_ she thought as the kisses became more intense. Tenten left her hands travel up from his back to entangle themselves into his rebelliously long dark brown hair. Oh how she loved his hair. She briefly wondered if one of the babies would inherit his hair. All thoughts about babies were pushed out of her head when she felt his hands sneak their way underneath her shirt and making a line for her bra hook.

Tenten pulled away from the kiss for two reasons: she and the babies needed oxygen and they would both be late for work if she didn't stop this now, because when Neji gets started…things happen. Neji continued with his kisses along her face and neck while she caught her breath.

"…Neji," she said. "We need to go to work soon," she said as she felt his fingers play with the hooks.

"I'd rather you stay right here," he said as he moved to sit next to her. Tenten remained lying down as she rolled her eyes again and sighed.

"Neji I'm going to work and that's that. I will not use this pregnancy as an excuse to get lazy!" she said while flinging her arms above her head. "I know you're worried and that's sweet and everything but think of it like this," she said while sitting up. "If anything bad happens, which it won't," she added hastily. "I'll be in the best hospital in the country anyway so when you think about it, it's better to be at work, with the best doctors on hand, then here at home…alone."

Neji sighed at his stubborn wife. Although he preferred she stay at home, he couldn't help but acknowledge that she did have a very good point. It was better to be somewhere where she had medical attention available than anywhere else without him.

"Alright then," he said. "But you're still out of commission as far as surgeries go" She just smiled at him as he got up and helped her to her feet. They both went and got changed for work. After grabbing a quick breakfast from the kitchen, they set off for the hospital.

* * *

**A few weeks later…****Sasuke's office: 12:00 PM**

Sasuke left his office and went to the elevator. A few weeks had passed since his day off with Suki and he found that he actually enjoyed taking a small break every now and then. He would now leave the hospital once a day to go out for lunch with either Naruto or just by himself. He found it to be a nice break from his office and to his surprise the paper work seemed to get done quicker when he came back. Who knew?

He stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for the first floor. As the elevator descended, he began to think about someone who he seemed to be seeing less of these days…Sakura.

It was strange. As soon as he makes it a point to ask her out, he barley sees her at all. He does his thing and she does hers. The few times that he had seen her in the elevators were uneventful too. She would quickly say hi and then bolt from the elevator and go off to do whatever it was that she had to do. In other words, she seemed to be pretty busy.

Sasuke was getting fed up with himself and with trying to date in general. This was why he hated it so much back in his college days; it required too much effort. The elevator stopped at the seventh floor and the doors opened.

" …" Was what was going through his mind when he saw Sakura walk in. She was wearing green scrub pants and her scrub top had teddy bears printed all over it. She had her purse slung over her shoulder and her phone in her right hand, supposedly checking her messages. She looked up with surprise written on her face and put her phone in her scrubs pocket.

"Uh…. hey Sasuke," she said as the doors closed. "I'm surprised that you're out again,"

"Hn," he said. "_You're the one that told me to take breaks,"_ he thought. Sakura sighed.

"_There he goes with those one word answers again,"_ She thought. After her discussion with Ino about dating again, Sakura still couldn't seem to get going on that plan. Work seemed to "conveniently" keep her occupied and give her no time to make any plans with anyone. The trouble was, it kept her thinking about it…or rather…someone, and he was standing right next to her.

Sasuke on the other hand, saw the perfect opportunity to get his "plan" in motion. "Are you going out to lunch?" he asked eyeing her purse.

"Yeah," she said. "I was thinking about trying out that Chinese place down the street. Tenten recommended it," she said. "I asked her to go with me, but she said she probably wouldn't be able to handle it." Sakura sighed. "It's a sad thing when pregnancy makes you hate your favorite foods,"

"…Right," said Sasuke. "_How do I ask her without sounding ridiculous?" _he thought. Thinking about asking her was one thing, but actually asking her was another. He somehow found himself unable to do it.

Sakura seemed to be having a similar problem. "_I wonder if he's going out to lunch too,"_ she thought. "_Maybe I should ask him to come with me," _she thought. She hadn't seen him in a while…almost three weeks. It gave her some time to think about her conversations with both Ino and Tenten. The thing she kept going back to was Sasuke. It was like; there was no other man that she possible knew that she could go out with. Everything seemed to point to him…and half of her didn't want it to.

But here he was, standing with her in this elevator and thinking about whatever it was that was on his mind. If only she knew who he was thinking about.

Sakura looked up at him from the sides of her eyes. He seemed to be in deep thought. His eyes were staring straight ahead and Sakura swore she could see her reflection in the darkness of his iris. What she didn't realize was that she was beginning to lean towards him a little. She snapped out of her starring when his eyes turned to look at her, effectively catching her in the act.

"Something wrong…Dr. Haruno?" he asked. Sakura stood up straight and looked forward.

"No…nothing." She said. She was a little embarrassed to be caught starring like that. She began to fidget with her purse and bob hear head a little. She could feel his eyes watching her. She must have looked ridiculous looking at him like that.

"_I should just ask him already!"_ she thought.

Sasuke looked at her and decided that this was it. He was going to ask her right now and nothing was going to get in his way. They both looked at each other and were about to say something when the elevator stopped on the second floor and a familiar voice called out to them.

"Hey Teme…and Sakura!" shouted Naruto as he stepped into the elevator and stood right in between them.

"_Dobe!"_ thought Sasuke. Leave it to Naruto to have perfect timing.

"You guys want to go have lunch together?" he asked while looking between the two. Sakura smiled at him while Sasuke sighed.

"Sure," they both replied. Seeing as how they were going to lunch with Naruto…Ichiraku's was inevitable.

* * *

**Ichiraku's: 12:30 PM**

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura arrived at Ichiraku's and took seats at the bar. Naruto immediately ordered his favorite pork ramen while Sasuke and Sakura both ordered the beef ramen.

"So Sakura," said Naruto. "Are you coming to Suki's birthday party?" asked Naruto.

"Oh I didn't know her birthday was coming up," said Sakura. She had to talk over Sasuke, since he was sitting in between them.

"It's this Saturday," said Sasuke. "She wanted me to ask you and Sora to be there," Sakura smiled.

"Well, I'm on-call on Saturday so I guess I can be there. She's turning five, right?" asked Sakura. Sasuke nodded.

"Great," said Naruto. "That means that whole gang will be there. By the way…I'm going to need a little help getting her present to your house," he admitted.

"…What did you get her?" asked Sasuke.

"I built her something and it's too big to fit in my car. It's not like a built her some screaming metal death trap or anything," shouted Naruto. Their orders came and he quickly dug into his ramen.

Sasuke and Sakura began eating their ramen as well. Although it might not be what they had planned, internally, they were both a little grateful for Naruto being there. At least this way, they could talk without the pressure. Plus, Naruto was too busy devouring his ramen to really be included.

"I thought you wanted to go to the Chinese place," said Sasuke.

"I can always go another time. Besides, this is nice, all of us hanging out like this," she said as she twirled her noodles on the chopsticks. "How's Suki doing?" she asked.

"She's doing well. I think you inspired her to become a doctor though," he said while a small smile.

"Really? How so?" asked Sakura.

"She said she wants to be just like you," he said. "I think that means she wants to become a doctor. Personally I wouldn't mind it if she did,"

"Awww she's so cute," said Sakura while smiling. "And was that a compliment I just heard from you?" she asked while smirking.

"Maybe," said Sasuke with a smirk as he sipped his water.

"I think Suki would make a great doctor. You might as well get her a toy doctor's kit. That's what my dad gave me when I turned three," said Sakura. "Turned out to be good practice," she said thoughtfully.

"You based your career off a birthday gift?" he asked.

"Of course not," she replied. "My dad told me that my mom was in the medical field," Said Sakura while stirring her soup. "Since I never knew her, I wanted to do things that she did. In some strange way, I felt like I was sort of…bonding with her," Said Sakura quietly. "Turns out Tsunade sama knew my mom,"

Sasuke watched her from the side. She had a small smile on her face and her eyes looked as if they were remembering something. "Anyway, what about you?" asked Sakura.

"What _about_ me?" asked Sasuke.

"Did you always want to run your family's hospital?" she asked.

"…I guess so. It wasn't really a choice so much as an obligation," said Sasuke.

"So…did you want to do anything other than this?" she asked.

"I grew up knowing that one day I would have to take over the hospital. There really wasn't any point in dreaming about anything else," he answered.

"Sasuke…every kid has dreams. I'm sure you did too," said Sakura.

"Hn," said Sasuke. Sakura just frowned.

"I really wish you would stop saying that," said Sakura. "What does 'Hn' mean anyway? Yes? No? Maybe? Whatever? Shut up? You're annoying?" she asked while twirling her ramen again.

"The last one," he said. He received a nice punch in the arm for that. The sad thing was…a petite pink haired woman wearing teddy bear print scrubs was the one who punched him. "You know…for a doctor, you're violent," he said.

"So I've been told," she said with a smile. "Sora seems to be following in my footsteps then. His Karate teacher told me that he was his best student. My little karate man," said Sakura affectionately.

Now that she mentioned her son, Sasuke felt as though he should confront her about Sora's attitude towards him. He hasn't seen much of the kid for a few weeks, but Sasuke couldn't get the way Sora looked at him out of his mind.

"Speaking of Sora," he said, grabbing her attention. "Does he…seem to have any problems with me?" asked Sasuke. Sakura put her chopsticks down and looked at him.

"Problems? What do you mean?" asked Sakura. "Did he say anything to you?"

"I know you've noticed how he sometimes gets a little…distant when I'm around. I just want to know if there was any reason for that," he said while looking at her. Her eyes bore into his for a second before looking down at her ramen.

"…I'm trying to figure that out myself," she admitted. "Honestly I have no clue why he feels so strange around you. He's not like that with anyone else,"

Sasuke remembered Sora's question from the okonomiyaki place a while back. "He asked me something interesting a while ago," said Sasuke.

"What did he say?" asked Sakura. She had completely turned to face him from her stool.

"He asked me if I used to play with him when he was little," said Sasuke. He saw how Sakura's face changed from curious to confused.

"Why would he ask you…that?" she said while looking him in the eyes. "It doesn't make sense to me,"

"I made no sense to me either," Said Sasuke. "Maybe he's confusing me with someone else," he added without thought. Sakura looked at him when he said that. She took a look at his face and was thinking hard. Suddenly it made sense. Sakura gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

Sasuke was right. Sora was confusing Sasuke with someone else…Sai. But how was that possible? Sora was only two years old when Sai died. There was no way he could remember anything from that age.

"Oh my…," she whispered. Sasuke gave her a confused look and became concerned when her eyes began to water a little.

"What's wrong?" asked Sasuke. Naruto, who was on his third bowl of ramen by now, stopped and looked over at Sakura.

"Hey Sakura, what's wrong? Did this Teme do anything to you?" he asked while giving Sasuke a look. Sakura shook her head and tried to smile for them, but wasn't succeeding.

"I'm fine," she said. "Sora is confused Sasuke. And now I know why. I'm sorry but I have to go," she said getting off her stool. She flipped through her purse and placed enough money to cover her bill on the counter.

"But Sakura," said Naruto as he stood up to. "What happened?" he asked. She just shook her head apologetically.

"I have to go. I'll see you guys later," she said while quickly walking out of the place. Naruto watched her leave, and then turned to Sasuke who looked perplexed at the situation.

"You Bastard!" shouted Naruto while pointing his finger at Sasuke. "What the hell did you say to her?" shouted Naruto.

"Dobe shut up and sit down," Said Sasuke as he stood to follow Sakura. He left Naruto at the bar and walked out and looked for her. She wasn't hard to spot walking down the street with that hair of hers. Sasuke jogged a bit to catch up with her.

"Sakura!" shouted Sasuke. He saw her stop and she turned around. He walked up to her and saw that she once again, tried to avoid eye contact with him. "What happened?" he asked. She wouldn't look at him as she spoke.

"Sasuke I can't talk to you right now. I have to talk to my son first," She said. "I've been thinking about this for a little bit as well and it only made sense when you said he might be confusing you with someone,"

"Who? Who is your son confusing me with?" he asked. She just continued to look down and shake her head. Whoever Sora thought Sasuke might be, it was sure upsetting Sakura.

"I can't talk to you about this now!" said Sakura. "I'll tell you soon but right now, I'm going back to work," She said as she continued walking away from him. Sasuke stood there annoyed and frustrated with himself. He shouldn't have brought anything up. But as he watched her walk farther away from him, his curiosity continued to grow.

Just whom did Sora see when he looked at Sasuke?

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

Later that night, Sakura made some fried fish with a vegetable for dinner. Sora helped her in the kitchen doing little jobs such as stirring and handing her things. Sakura put her happy face on as she watched him get a kick out of stirring the veggies. Sora was so easily amused.

They sat at the table and ate their dinner. Sora had changed into his pajamas and told her all about his day in Karate and how he was the first one to be able to break his wooden board. Sakura smiled at him as he got into more detail about it. Sakura knew that it was his artistic side that had the knack for detail, just like his father did.

"Suki's going to have a birthday party this weekend," said Sakura. "Are you excited?" she asked. Sora nodded his head while finishing off his vegetables. Sakura cleared the plates and put them in the sink. She would deal with them later. Right now, she wanted to talk to Sora.

"Sweetie, let's go into the living room," said Sakura. She and Sora went and sat on the couch. "Sora," said Sakura. "I have something that I want to show you," she said as she reached under the coffee table and pulled out a large photo album. "Come here sweetie," she said as Sora sat next to her. Sakura placed one arm over him while the other hand opened the album.

The first picture that could be seen was of Sakura in her high school days wearing her uniform. "That's me on my first day of high school," She said as Sora laughed at the picture.

"Mommy you look funny like that," he said while smiling at her. Sakura playfully pouted and ruffled his hair.

"Yeah your daddy thought the same thing," she mumbled bitterly. She flipped through some more pictures of herself before she turned the page again. The next picture really caught Sora's interest. The picture was a tall man with dark hair and dark eyes. It was the man in Sora' memories. Now, Sakura was always telling Sora that he looked like Sai and telling him small stories about him as well. But, she never actually got around to showing him any pictures of Sai. It was just too painful to have Sai's pictures lying around the house so she just transferred them onto an album.

"Sora," said Sakura as he looked up at her. "This is your Daddy," she said as he turned back to the album.

"My Daddy?" he asked as he touched the picture.

Sakura watched as his little hand slid over the picture. His eyes were looking onto the face of his father, memorizing every detail that he possible could. By the look in his eyes, Sakura knew that Sora now had some clarity about his confusion. Sora's hand remained on the picture.

"Daddy," said Sora. He looked up at Sakura, who was trying so hard not to cry again.

"Yeah sweetie, this is your Daddy, Sai," she said as she turned the page. The next picture was another high school picture of both Sai and herself. "I met your daddy when we were in high school. He always used to tease me and play tricks on me," she said.

"But why?" he asked innocently. "Didn't Daddy like you?" he asked. Sakura chuckled.

"Of course he did Sora," she said with a smile. "But he didn't know how to tell me that he liked me, so he played little jokes on me all the time. But then I would beat him up and make him pay," she said. Sora chuckled.

"Mommy," he said with a smile. "Girls can't beat up boys," he said. Sakura laughed and turned the page. The next one was a picture of Sai and herself on their wedding day.

"This was when we got married," said Sakura. The picture showed Sakura in her very simple wedding gown with Sai next to her in a tux. It was outdoors by a lake with a huge cherry blossom tree next to them. She showed Sora some more pictures of Sai and herself before she turned to another page that caught Sora's interest.

"Mommy…your tummy is really big!" said Sora as he starred wide-eyed at the picture. Sakura chuckled.

"That's because you were inside my belly," she said. The picture was of Sakura standing by the same tree from the wedding, while holding her very pregnant belly. Sora looked at his mom with his mouth open.

"Reeeeaaally?" he asked. Sakura nodded her head. She then pointed to the ultrasound picture on the next page.

"See?" she said while indicating the sonogram. "This is a picture of you while you were still in my tummy," She said. It was a profile shot that nicely showed the outline of Sora's tiny body in the womb. "Daddy was jealous because Grandma Tsunade took this picture instead of him," she said. She turned the page again to show him a picture of Sakura in the hospital.

"And there's _you_," she said affectionately. "On the day you were born," she said. The picture showed Sakura in a hospital bed and holding a small bundle wrapped in a blue cloth in her arms. Sai was sitting next to her on the bed with his arm around her and his other hand on the baby's head.

"See? You look just like your Daddy," she said. The next page had a picture of just Sai and Sora. "Your Daddy loved you more than anything," said Sakura as a tear slipped out of her eye. "Sora, do you remember him?" she asked.

Sora looked at the picture of him and his father. He looked just like the man in his dreams. "Did Daddy play with me?" he asked. Sakura nodded her head.

"Yeah…he used to play with you all the time. You were his little man. That's what he used to call you," she said as she wiped the tears away.

"He looks like Suki's daddy," said Sora.

"…I know," said Sakura. "But Sora, Sasuke only looks like your daddy. He isn't your father," She said. Sora ran his hand over the picture again and nodded. "But you be nice to him…ok?" asked Sakura. "Suki's daddy is a nice man and he's my friend, just like Suki is your friend. No more glaring at him okay?" she said.

"Okay," said Sora. Sakura kissed his cheek and continued flipping through the album and showing Sora various pictures of the three of them as a family.

**The next day…**

Sakura arrived at work the next morning and decided that she needed to get things straight with Sasuke. She felt bad about the way she just left Sasuke and Naruto yesterday without any explanation. Sasuke deserved to know why both she and Sora had been acting strange around him. Her only concern was that he would look down on her for not being able to control her emotions.

She took the elevator to the 15th floor and went up to the receptionist. The receptionist pushed the intercom button and announced Sakura's presence. She heard Sasuke's voice say, "Come in". She thanked the receptionist and walked towards his office. Sakura suddenly became nervous about seeing him.

She opened the door and walked in to find sitting in front of his computer with a few files and books on his desk.

"Dr. Haruno," he said as he clicked his computer files off.

"Mr. Uchiha," said Sakura as she took a seat in front of his desk. "I wanted to…well…fill you in, I guess…about yesterday," she said as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. She was wearing her pink scrubs without her white coat.

Sasuke turned his chair around to fully face her. He watched as she fidgeted with her shirt with her head tilted down. Again, she refused to meet his gaze and again, this frustrated Sasuke.

"When you said that Sora might be confusing you with someone… it all made sense," She began. "The reason why he was behaving a little oddly was because he was confusing you with…with his father,"

Sasuke raised his eyebrow. His father? Her son was confusing him with his father?

"Are you sure about that?" asked Sasuke. Sakura slowly looked up at him and nodded her head.

"It's understandable," she said. "You look…so similar to my late husband Sai. I noticed it when I first came in for my interview. But I never realized that Sora would notice it too,"

"…_What?"_ thought Sasuke. That wasn't necessarily the thing you wanted to hear from someone you were thinking about dating. "Did you talk to him about it?" he asked.

"Oh yeah," said Sakura. "We talked about it last night. He now knows who his real father is. Actually I don't think he really made any connection to you as his father," Said Sakura. "He was very young when his father died; barely two years old. I didn't think he would remember much about his father, but I guess he does…on some sort of subconscious level I guess," she said.

Sasuke leaned forward on his desk and rested his chin on his intertwined fingers. This complicated things. If Sora was mistaking him as his father, then what did that mean for Sakura? What was on _her _mind when she looked at him? Part of him wanted to know and the other half didn't want to care about it. But oddly enough, this made Sakura a little more appealing.

"I know this is probably awkward," she said. "But I just felt that you should know,"

She grew tense when Sasuke didn't say anything. He was just sitting there, starring at her with those eyes of his. It was like he was analyzing her or something. She tried not to let his gaze get to her, but she couldn't help but want to disappear.

"Sasuke?" she said. "Say something…you're freaking me out," she said. His eyes quickly darted to the clock and then came back to her. He leaned back on his chair and watched as the emotions on her face changed from curiosity, to frustration, to apprehension then back to frustration. It was really quite amusing.

"You haven't gone to the Chinese place yet," he said. Sakura almost fell out of her chair.

"I…huh? What?" she asked.

"We'll go out for lunch today," he said while turning back to his computer.

"W…What? Sasuke," she said. "Is that all you have to say? I just told you something that would make anyone else freak out. Why aren't you freaking out?" she said.

"We'll talk about the upcoming meeting in December. At Shikamaru's request, I'm going to need one physician from every department there," said Sasuke as he browsed through his computer.

"But…you…why are you…. how can you…. I don't…Arrrrrrrg!" said Sakura as she got up from her chair. She began pacing in front of his desk while trying to think of something to say. "Sasuke, why are you being so indifferent about this?" she asked.

"I'm sure you have patients to see," he said. He inwardly smirked when she gave a frustrated sigh and walked out of his office. Ten seconds later she barged right back in and marched right up to his desk and placed both her hands on the desktop.

"You know what?" she said. "I don't like that you're indifferent about this. I am not going to lunch with you. You didn't even ask me, by the way, you ordered me," she said while crossing her arms over her chest.

"If we leave now, we can beat the lunch rush," said Sasuke.

"Hello! I am not going to lunch with you! You're being really weird about this Sasuke," she said.

"Let's go then," he said while shutting down his computer. He got up and got his coat from behind his chair. Sakura stood there, not really knowing what to do. Sasuke was acting very…un-Sasuke-like.

"I…AM…NOT…GOING…WITH…YOU!" she said as if he were slow.

**15 minutes later…**

"_I can't believe I came with him," _thought Sakura as she slumped in her side of the booth. She held up her menu in front of her to hide her face from him. He somehow managed to get her to argue with him from his office all the way to the Chinese restaurant that was just down the street from the hospital.

The waiter came and took their orders. Before leaving, he took the menu's, which meant Sakura had to face him now. She was still frustrated with him for being so freaking vague. Why couldn't he just tell her how he felt about it? She crossed her arms and sighed again. She knew he was looking at her and she didn't care. If he didn't want to talk to her, then she wouldn't have to talk to him.

"I think you're weird," said Sakura childishly as she directed a glare in his direction.

"I think you're annoying," said Sasuke as he sipped his tea. Sakura pouted and slumped back in her seat. She avoided looking at him and took to looking around the restaurant. She saw the fish tank near the entrance and briefly thought about bringing Sora here. He and his aunty Tenten shared a love for Chinese food.

She turned back to Sasuke and decided to try to talk to him again.

"Sasuke, are you ever going to tell me what you think about…what I told you?" she asked. He didn't answer her. Instead, he chose to just look at the wall across the restaurant. The truth was, he didn't really know what to tell her. Here he was about to attempt to date this woman, and she throws him something like that before anything could get started. How do you ask her out after she indirectly tells you that you look like her past lover?

"In case you haven't noticed," said Sakura. "I'm not good with silence Sasuke. So you either talk to me or I'm leaving." She said. Sasuke brought his onyx eyes back to her and locked on to her emerald ones. _"At least I get a reaction from him this time,"_ she thought.

"The conference will be here in no time," said Sasuke. "I expect you to be there and represent the Obstetrics department," He said. Sakura sighed in defeat. Well, at least he was talking to her, right?

"When and where exactly is the conference held?" she asked.

"Kyoto," he said. "Two days before Christmas," Sakura was a little surprised when she heard that. Kyoto was her old home, the place where her life pretty much began. Her father was also there.

"Oh," she said. "Two days before Christmas. That's really pushing it. I assume we'll have to leave a day or so before, right?" she asked. Sasuke just nodded his head. The food came soon after and the two of them ceased their brief conversation to eat.

Of course, Sakura could never really let anything go.

"You know I'm just going to keep bugging you about this right?" she said as she twirled her chow mien in her chopsticks. Sasuke didn't give her any indication that he even heard her. He just continued eating. "_Why is he ignoring me? It's pissing me off," _she thought.

"I told Sora not to glare at you anymore," she continued. "…even though you kind of do the same thing every now and then. He should be more pleasant from now on," she added.

"Hn," he said.

"Will you stop with the "Hn"? It's not a real word," She said. She was getting fed up with him and his strange behavior.

"You're easy to provoke," he said. "It's amusing." He said as he sipped his tea.

"Well I'm glad you're entertained." She said dryly. "I really would like you to tell me what you think about this Sasuke," she said. "Why are you trying to avoid it?"

"I'm not," said Sasuke.

"Well then why won't you tell me what you think?" she asked.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked. "What did you expect me to say?"

"Well I thought that maybe you would be a little disturbed by me and the situation that you would try to avoid me or something. Instead, you act like I didn't even tell you anything and then you force me to eat Chinese food with you. What's up with that?" she asked in a frustrated voice.

"You shouldn't get so wound up," he said. "I wouldn't want your blood pressure to increase,"

"…Are you mocking me?" she asked. "Is this your way of calming down? By getting _me_ upset?" she asked. "Please," she said in a pleading voice. "Please just tell me how you feel about this,"

Sasuke looked at her sincere face. She honestly wanted to know how he felt. Well, if she wanted to know, then he would tell her.

"Sakura," he said. "What your son thinks about me is not of my concern. I understand that he was confusing me with someone and now I know whom. Now he's clear about me and there shouldn't be any more problems. But tell me something Dr. Haruno," he said. "Why are you so concerned about how I feel?" he asked.

"Because, Mr. Uchiha, you're my boss," Said Sakura. "And since we've meet I would like to think that we have some kind of friendship. I care about my friends and I care about you. You and I can relate on things that others can't, so is it so wrong to be concerned about you?" she asked.

"I think you're putting more into this than necessary," He said.

"No I'm not," she retorted. "If you were to tell me that I remind you of your late wife, I would be a little affected by that," she said. Sasuke looked at her and thought about what she just said. There was one thing that Sakura had that reminded him of Aya, and that was obviously their eyes. Let's see how she would react to that.

"You do," he replied.

"I do what?" she asked.

"You remind me somewhat of Suki's mother," he said. "It's the eyes. You share the same eyes," he said. Sakura raised her eyes brows and leaned back in her seat.

"Really? You never mention your wife," she said. That was a bit strange. She wasn't expecting him to actually say something like that.

"I don't mention a lot of things Sakura," he said vaguely.

"Well maybe you should. Maybe you should open up a bit more to your friends and family. It's not good to keep things bottle dup inside you. If you want to say something, then you should just say it," she said.

Sasuke observed her for a moment before he thought back to his promise for Suki. His original plan was to ask Sakura out, so why shouldn't he? She wants him to open up, but he'll do it in his own way.

"Let's just drop this Sakura. If you're worried about me, don't be. This hasn't affected me in anyway and that's the truth." He said. She looked like she wanted to punch him before she sighed in defeat.

"Fine," she conceded. They continued to eat the rest of their food. Sasuke paid for both their meals and they went back to the hospital together. On the way, Sakura couldn't help but become even more worried about him. She's only known Sasuke for about two months now but she already thought of him as a friend; a very familiar friend.

But they had a work relationship. There were certain boundaries that came that, and she didn't know whether or not they've crossed it by bringing their personal lives into their work lives. She looked up at him as they walked towards the hospital. He was looking straight ahead with a look of indifference plastered onto his face.

"Stop spacing," said Sasuke. Sakura blinked a few times.

"I was not spacing," She said with her arms crossed.

"Yes you were," he said

"I told you I wasn't spacing," she repeated.

"Hn," he said.

"That's not a word!" she said as they turned into the entrance of the hospital. Sasuke smirked. Call him sadistic, but he rather enjoyed seeing her get so worked up. It was too easy and it was pretty entertaining to see her get so animated about it.

They both walked into the elevator and pushed their respected floors. As the doors shut, Sasuke turned to her.

"When are you free?" he asked. She looked up at him with confusion in her eyes.

"What?" she asked. Sasuke looked away while scratching the side of his face.

"I'm taking you out," he said. From the corners of his eyes, he could see her tilt her head to the side.

"Are you…. asking me out?" she asked incredulously. That was unexpected. She looked over at him, while he looked anywhere other than her direction. "Sasuke?" she said.

"Are you free or not?" he asked impatiently. Man he was really bad at this. Sakura was now pissed off.

"…For crying out… you know, you really suck at this," said Sakura. "I mean I already told you, if you want to say something, just say it!" said Sakura. "Are you asking me out or not?" she asked.

"What do you think?" he asked with annoyance.

"I think you've yet again, ordered me to do something. Why don't you try asking me for once?" she said with a raised voice. He was really getting on her nerves today.

"If you don't want to just say so," he said while turning towards her.

"I never said I didn't want to, I'm telling you to ask me!" she yelled as she stepped towards him.

"What difference does it make?" he said raising his voice as well.

"It makes all the difference." She said. "I don't want to be ordered to do something. You don't command someone to go out, you have to ask them." She shouted.

"You're being annoying and difficult," he said.

"And you're being…. you," she shouted. "Why would I want to go out with someone as inconsiderate as you?" she said.

"Fine! Will you go out with me?" he shouted as he stepped closer to her.

"When?" she shouted as she came closer as well.

"Tonight!" he said in an equally raised voice.

"Okay!" she shouted. By now they were so close that their foreheads were almost touching. The elevator opened on the 8th floor and Sakura quickly stepped away from Sasuke and left the elevator. She turned around and saw that he was smirking at her before the doors to the elevator closed.

"Damn him!" she cursed as she walked towards her office. As she walked, she suddenly realized that she had a date tonight. And not just with anyone, it was a date with Sasuke Uchiha, her boss. They just made plans while yelling the whole time.

"_Uh he's so stupid!"_ she thought. "_Who the hell does he think he is, ordering me like that? He's so authoritative and he thinks he can just tell me to go out with him. Although he did look kind of hot when…"_ Sakura stopped thinking and shook her head.

Where the hell did that come from? She was supposed to be angry with him, not fantasize about him. But she thought back to his face when they were practically screaming at each other. He looked so strong and powerful. His towering height and sort of mysterious persona gave him an edge. His face was so close to hers and she didn't even realize it until now.

Sakura let a small blush creep onto her cheeks before she entered her office. She had to stop thinking about him. It was getting on her nerves. _HE_ was getting on her nerves, but at the same time, he was getting more…interesting to say the least.

Sakura only wondered how awkward tonight would be. She only hoped that they wouldn't end up yelling their lungs off or something. She promised herself that she would start dating, so this was just going to have to do for now. At least she was getting somewhere…right?

* * *

**Later that night…**

Sasuke and Suki had just arrived at Naruto and Hinata's house. Naruto agreed to watch her for the night while Sasuke attended to his "business," as he was told.

Sasuke walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, Naruto opened the door.

"About time you got here," said Naruto before looking down at his god-daughter.

"Hi Uncle Naruto," Suki greeted.

"Hey Suki," said Naruto as he knelt down to her level. "Aunt Hinata is in the kitchen and she's all set up to bake cookies. But she's going to need some help," said Naruto.

"I'll help her," she offered excitedly. "Bye daddy," said Suki as she hugged Sasuke's leg. Sasuke patted her head since he couldn't bend to hug her.

"Bye Tenshi," said Sasuke as he watched her run into the kitchen.

"So, where are you really going?" asked Naruto as he took a good look at Sasuke's attire. "You sure look pretty casual to be doing anything business-related," he observed. Sasuke was wearing black pants with a white cotton shirt and a dark blue sports jacket over it.

"None of your business Dobe," he replied. "Just make sure Suki isn't on a sugar high when I get back," he warned. Naruto looked over him once more before his eyes widened and he suddenly shouted.

"Wait! Don't tell me you have a date?" he asked. Sasuke scoffed.

"Shut up Dobe!" he said. This is why Naruto could never find out. He just can't shut up. "I'll be back at 11 at the latest," He said while turning around and walking back to his car.

As he watched Sasuke leave, Naruto was secretly plotting. He knew Sasuke wasn't going to any business meeting dressed like that. No…he was going to see someone…a lady someone. The question was, who was it? In all the years that Naruto had known him, he had never seen Sasuke dressed for a date. This was big and he had to find out for himself. And the best way to do that was to stalk him.

Naruto went into the kitchen and found Suki and Hinata mixing the cookie dough batter.

"Hey guys, I'm going to go out for a little bit. You two ladies need anything?" he asked.

"Um…we do need some more milk," said Hinata. "Do you think you can pick some up on your way back?" she asked.

"For you…anything," said Naruto as he blew her a kiss and left the house. He was going to find out for sure if Sasuke was seeing someone. It was his duty as the bastard's best friend. That's what Naruto thought as he spotted Sasuke's car way down the street.

"Let's see what you're up to Teme," said Naruto as got into his car and started the engine.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**Next chapter is the "Date". Hello everyone. Well, I know this chapter isn't the actual date, but that's in the next one. And I swear Kakashi is coming in the next chapter as well. I love reviews. **


	13. The Past and the Present

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 13: The Past and the Present**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Sakura's house: 6:45pm**

Sakura had just finished getting ready. Sora had gone to Ino's house after karate practice so that gave her a lot of time to get ready. After the whole elevator incident, Sakura had called Sasuke later in the day to actually specify what they were going to do since they never got around to it. As usual, Sasuke was vague and told her to just wear something casual. So she decided to wear some black pants, a beige full sleeves top and a matching jacket. October brought the cold weather down upon them without wasting any time.

She had just finished getting dressed when she heard the doorbell ring. Looking at herself in the mirror one more time, she got her purse and headed down stairs. She opened the door and found Sasuke standing there, looking more casual than she's ever seen him.

"Hi," said Sakura gently as she closed the door.

"Hn," said Sasuke as he began to walk towards his car. Sakura watched him as he walked away. Internally, she was screaming.

"_Five seconds into this so called date and he already managed to make me want to strangle him. That's got to be a world record," _She thought as she sighed and followed him.

They got into his car and buckled up. Sasuke started the engine and began to drive into town. Sakura just sat in the passenger's seat and looked around the car. It was pretty neat and very Sasuke-ish. It was completely black, leathery and corporate. The only indication of some kind of other life was the car seat in the back.

Sakura looked over at Sasuke, who was concentrating on the road. She had to admit that he looked nice wearing casual clothes. He looked more approachable.

"So," said Sakura. "Where are we going?" she asked as she turned to face him. He looked at her from the side of his eyes for a second before looking back at the road.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Um, yeah," she said.

"We'll eat first," said Sasuke. "Anything you want in particular?" he asked. Sakura thought about it for a while. She really didn't have a preference and she really hadn't had a lot of time to go exploring with the restaurants.

"Well how about the Hidden Leaf?" she asked remembering the outing with Ino and the kids. "It's pretty nice over there and I never really got a chance to see the Koi pond outside,"

"Hn, sure," said Sasuke as he made a turn into the shopping district. After about fifteen minutes, they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. They were met with a hostess upon entering.

"Welcome to the Hidden Leaf," she said. "How many seats would you need?" she asked.

"Two," said Sasuke. The hostess nodded and grabbed two menus from behind her and led them to their table. They walked to a different part of the restaurant then where they sat before. This one was a booth that was on the upper level of the restaurant and it was more secluded from the rest of the guests; perfect for some privacy with a great view of the Koi pond down below.

Sasuke and Sakura took their seats facing each other. The waitress asked if they wanted to start off with anything to drink.

"Just water for me," said Sakura. Sasuke said the same. The waitress left and said she would be back to take their orders. They both opened their menus and scanned its contents. Sakura was scanning the menu for a bit and noticed that Sasuke had already put his menu down, clearly knowing what he was going to order already. Sakura, having already decided what she wanted as well, kept the menu up in front of her face.

For some reason, she felt as though she had to hide from him right now. The car ride over here had been a silent one and the awkwardness was only growing. She made sure that the menu was directly in front of her, effectively covering her entire face from Sasuke. That is, until, the waitress came back.

"I'll have the Roasted Beef and Tomato special," said Sasuke as the waitress wrote it down. She turned to Sakura, who still had her menu up in front of her.

"I'll have the baked chicken and vegetable plate." She said. She reluctantly gave the menu back to the waitress and watched her leave. She had no choice but to face Sasuke, who had been looking at her the whole time.

"Are you done hiding from me?" he asked as he lay back in his seat.

"I wasn't hiding from you," said Sakura.

"Hn," said Sasuke. Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had to keep the fact that he was her boss in the front of her mind. After all, this date was a huge gray area and she didn't want to take any chances. She still had a reputation to keep up after all. Neither one of them spoke for a few minutes until Sakura couldn't handle the silence any longer.

"So," she said. "Why'd you suddenly ask me out?" she asked while folding her hands together. She watched as his eyes darted from the wall to her eyes. Apparently, he wasn't expecting her to ask him that.

"Do I need a reason?" he asked casually. He could tell by the way her eyes narrowed that he had said something wrong.

"Well," she said with some restraint. "Having a reason would be nice. It's not like you randomly take people out to dinner just because you feel like it,"

"Think of it as my way of saying thanks for letting me and Suki stay at your place the night of the earthquake," he replied.

"Oh," said Sakura. "Well that was weeks ago and you didn't have to take me out to say thank you," she said. She sat back in her end of the booth. "_So this wasn't really a date? This was just a thank you dinner?" _thought Sakura. Part of her was relieved. It meant that there shouldn't be any more unease when she was around him. But then there was the other part of her, the one she was feeling right now, that was full of disappointment and embarrassment. "_I guess I read too much into it,"_ she thought.

She must have been daydreaming because Sasuke's voice brought her back to reality.

"Sakura," said Sasuke. She snapped out of it and looked across at him.

"What?" she asked.

"You were spacing out again," he said.

"Oh," she said dejectedly. She didn't argue against it because she knew she was lost in thought. Her tone of voice didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke.

"_She sounds disappointed,"_ he thought as he watched her face. He noticed how her eyes became a little dull after her gave her his reason. Actually, he didn't even know why he told her it was a thank you dinner when it was far from it. What was she expecting him to say? What should he have told her? Sasuke realized that he was getting nowhere with this "date" and decided to actually start a conversation for once.

"How's Sora doing in Karate?" he asked. He knew this was a good topic when he saw her form a small smile at the mention of her son.

"He's doing great," said Sakura. Sasuke noticed the shine return to her eyes. "He has a match coming up soon. I guess he's getting a belt with a color on it. Although I forgot which color,"

"Most likely yellow," said Sasuke.

"How do you know?" asked Sakura.

"I took Karate when I was a kid," he replied.

"Really? Wow," said Sakura interestedly. "So I guess you know the order of the belt colors then," she said. "So when did you start Karate and how far did you take it?" she asked.

"I started when I was eight-years-old and continued through with different dojos until high school. I'm a black belt," he said. Sakura's face looked surprised.

"That's impressive. Do you still practice?" she asked.

"Sometimes," said Sasuke. "It's not part of my exercise routine but I do it on occasion," They continued to chat more about Karate and working out in general until the food came. They thanked the waitress and began eating, both enjoying the silence for a bit.

**Meanwhile at the grocery store…**

"I can't believe I lost him, that Teme" mumbled Naruto as he strolled into the supermarket. He had managed to successfully follow Sasuke for about two minutes before he was caught at a red light while Sasuke drove away to kami knows where. Now, feeling completely stupid, he went ahead to fulfill his grocery shopping.

After strolling down the aisles of the store, Naruto paused for a bit and scratched his head.

"_Uhhh…what did Hinata want me to get again_?" he thought as he tried recalling what she wanted. "Hmmm," thought Naruto as he walked into to packaged foods section. "I think it was something about…RAMEN!" he shouted as he spotted the ramen section. There was a sign above it that read "**50 % off all instant ramen cups** **TODAY ONLY"**. With stars in his eyes, Naruto grabbed as many cups of instant ramen that he could carry and walked off to pay for them, completely passing the dairy aisle as he did so.

* * *

**Back at the Hidden Leaf…**

Sasuke and Sakura had finished their meals. Somehow they had managed to keep the conversations light and flowing throughout the meal and they were now heading out of the restaurant. They were greeted with a cold breeze once they stepped outside.

"What time is it?" asked Sakura as they walked down the street. Sasuke looked at his watch.

"8:15" he said. "Are you going to miss your curfew?" He asked smirking.

"Wow, Sasuke can joke around? Who knew?" said Sakura with mock surprise. He pretended not to care about that remark as they continued walking down the street past the restaurant parking lot.

"Uh, Sasuke?" asked Sakura. "We pasted the parking lot," she said. Sasuke continued walking.

"You want to go home already?" he asked. Sakura jogged a bit to catch up with him.

"Not necessarily," she said. "But where are we going?" she asked while buttoning up her jacket. It was getting a bit chilly outside now.

"Nowhere in particular," said Sasuke. "I just felt like walking," he said.

"…O…kay," said Sakura as she walked in place next to him. "Are you at least going to talk to me again?" she asked. He looked down and sideways at her. "Because you remember what I told you at the Chinese place; I don't like silence," she reminded.

"Hn," said Sasuke. "You talk too much,"

"And you don't talk enough," she said while smiling. "But I don't get how a sweetheart like Suki can be so talkative when her father is practically mute," she said while smirking.

"I could say the same for you," said Sasuke. "I guess you talk enough for you and Sora combined," He said while smirking himself.

"My baby is an artist," she said proudly. "He doesn't need words to send a message," she said. "And he talks to people too. Just not to you and you already know why," she said. "But I told you, he'll be nice and polite from now on,"

"Right," said Sasuke. "You'll be able to make it to Suki's party, won't you?" he asked, just to keep her talking.

"Yeah I will," she said. "By the way, what kind of stuff does Suki like?" asked Sakura. "I'm going to have to shop for something for the birthday girl,"

"If it's pink, she'll love it," said Sasuke as they turned the corner. They walked into a park and strolled over towards the lake that was not too far away. Sakura seemed to like it.

"Oh I didn't know this park had a lake," she said as the two of them walked towards it.

"They have rental boats as well," said Sasuke. "They only rent them out on weekends though. Suki apparently loves it," he said.

"What do you mean apparently?" she asked.

"Itachi is usually the one to take her on boat rides," said Sasuke as they sat on the bench besides the lake. "I've never really had the time to take her myself,"

"Well it's not like Suki's all grown up," said Sakura. "You've still got plenty of time to spend with her. You _are_ spending more time with her aren't you?" she asked as she leaned back on the bench.

Sasuke shrugged. "We've gone to the park a couple of times," he said.

"Well that's good," said Sakura. "So have you been feeling any better? More relaxed?" she asked.

"Somewhat," said Sasuke. "At least as much as I can with people like you and the Dobe anyway,"

"Why do you call Naruto 'Dobe'?" asked Sakura. "He's so sweet and I thought he was your best friend," she said.

"Hn," said Sasuke. "What would _you_ call a knuckled-headed ramen lover?" he asked while looking at her. The wind made her hair swing behind her head.

"I'd just call him sweet and loveable Naruto," she said. "Besides, he has Hinata to make sure he's stable. They really are a cute couple," She said. "Neji and Tenten too,"

"I guess," said Sasuke, not really caring too much about the topic.

"How did you guys all meet anyway?" asked Sakura.

"I've known Naruto since we were kids," said Sasuke. "We've pretty much been in school together since then. We met Neji and Shikamaru in high school and stayed in close contact since then,"

"Awww," said Sakura. "That's kind of like me. Ino and I met in grade school and then I met Tenten in high school and I went to college with her as well," she said. "Funny how that works," she said while looking up at the sky. The stars were clearly visible as they filled the night's sky.

"Hn," said Sasuke while leaning back on the bench. He looked directly over at the lake.

"Sasuke?" said Sakura while still looking up at the sky. She heard him say "hn". "Say 'Hn' one more time and I swear I'll punch you," she said calmly.

Sasuke snapped his head in her direction. Sakura was still looking up at the sky, looking perfectly composed and serene.

"I'd like to see you try… Dr. Haruno," he said with a smirk.

"Don't underestimate me Mr. Uchiha." She said while turning her head to face him. "I may not look like much, but I didn't get a reputation of having "Inhuman strength" for nothing,"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at that. "Inhuman strength?" he asked. "You?" he said while looking her up and down. He could help but smirk. That statement was just so contradictory to her overall appearance.

"What are you smirking at?" she asked. "I'm serious, I'll punch you… and it'll hurt," she said trying to convince him. Sasuke was trying to keep his cool, but he couldn't help but sort of chuckle at her.

"How did you manage to get that reputation?" he asked.

"It's a long story," she said. "But my dad had me enrolled in several self-defense classes when I was younger. It came in handy when I came upon some people who just can't take no for an answer," she said. "But that shouldn't surprise you. You said yourself that I'm pretty violent,"

"Hn," he said. Bad mistake. Sakura sighed and leaned back, made a fist, and swung right at Sasuke's left arm. He didn't seem to give any indication of pain, but she swore that she saw his eyes flinch for a second.

"I _know_ that hurt you," she said while scooting closer to get a better look at his face.

"No…it didn't," said Sasuke while trying hard to resist the urge to grab hold of his aching arm. He knew that was definitely going to bruise soon. "You realize you just punched your boss right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I realized that my boss got punched by a little girly girl like me. Admit it Sasuke, that hurt you," she said.

"Sakura, I'm perfectly fine." He said. His arm was actually throbbing now and he was glad that his jacket was there to cover the definite bruise that was forming right about now.

"I'm a doctor Sasuke, I can practically smell the pain," said Sakura. "Oh come on. Is your male ego really so big that you can't even admit that that was actually painful?" asked Sakura. "If it makes you feel any better, you can always think of it as getting punched by a Police Commander's daughter. Does that make it sound manlier?" she asked.

"Are you done mocking me?" he asked. Sakura laughed and leaned back on the bench. The wind was picking up and the temperature was dropping. The wind moved the clouds that were blocking the moon, causing the moonlight to shine down on the park. Sasuke watched as the light made Sakura's fair skin illuminate with a slivery blue glow, making her look like an ethereal being. Her eyes also captured the moonlight, giving them a white shine over the deep green eyes.

Sasuke sat there, captivated by her beauty. He knew she was beautiful the minute he first saw her. But he never cared about such things in the past. Back then, women were the least of his concerns and he only began dating again solely for Suki's well-being.

But right now, for the first time in his adult life, Sasuke looked at this woman; this annoying, aggressive, violent chatterbox of a woman, and thought of nothing more than just how beautiful she looked right now under the moonlight.

Sakura looked away from the moon at Sasuke, only to notice that he had been staring at her for quite some time.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said as he looked out towards the lake.

"You were staring at me," said Sakura. "Is there something on my face?" she asked uneasily as she dug through her purse for her compact. She stopped when Sasuke's hand came down over hers.

"Drop the mirror, you're fine." He said as he guided her hand away from her purse. He let her hand go when she dropped the compact back in her purse but not before giving it a light squeeze first. "You're cold," said Sasuke.

"Not really," she said as the wind blew in their direction.

"Your hands are cold as ice," said Sasuke. "You don't have to stay out here, we could go back," he said.

"I'm fine Sasuke, besides," she said as she looked over towards the lake. "It's nice to just be out here and hang out. Between work and Sora, there's was just never enough time to go out and just be me," she said.

"I would have thought someone like you would have had more of a social life," said Sasuke. "But I understand what you mean," he said. Sakura smiled at him.

"I know you do," she said softly. "You know, this is actually the first time in over two years that I've been able to go out without Sora," she realized. "Don't get me wrong, I love my son, but I could never bring myself to leave him with a babysitter and have a night off for myself,"

"…You're just a good mother," said Sasuke as he looked away from her. Indeed she was a good mother; the kind of mother that he would want for Suki.

"Thanks," said Sakura. "And I know you're a good father," she said as he turned to look at her. "The way Suki is around you, it's obvious that you're her whole world. Only a really good dad can make a little girl like her smile so big,"

"…Her smiles aren't always real," said Sasuke. Sakura gave him a confused look. "She smiles all the time. She smiles when I can't make it to her shows, or when I come home too late to play with her, or when I drop her off at her grandparents' house to attend to some business,"

Sakura looked at him with understanding now. Sasuke looked down at his lap and really thought about just how much he's indirectly hurt his daughter. "I never realized just how much I've missed out on her little life…until _you_ made me look at it," He said as he redirected his gaze to Sakura. "Suki puts on a brave face for me. But she needs more than what I can give her,"

"…I know that feeling," said Sakura. "I know that feeling all too well. It's the same with Sora. I'm his mother. And there's only so much I can do for him. But there are things that I just can't do; things that only a father can do with him," She said. She turned on her side and faced Sasuke wholly. "I guess it's the same with Suki right?" she asked.

"I'm her father," said Sasuke. "But she's going to need a mother more than she'll ever need me,"

"She's always going to need you Sasuke," Said Sakura. "Believe me, I know what it's like to only have a father. My dad was everything to me; he was my hero. I could never imagine my life without him. He tried his best with me, even though he was busy most of the time. You're a lot like him actually," She said as Sasuke turned to face her.

"But you're right," she continued. "There are some things, for girls especially, that call for a mother figure around," She said. "I get you. You and I are in the same boat,"

Sasuke looked into her eyes and saw nothing but understanding. She gets him and he gets her. Sasuke was actually surprised at how much he had opened up to her this evening. He had never been able to talk to anyone about any of this, mainly because it was never brought up. But she made him look at it, and she understood.

"Listen," said Sasuke. "I have a favor to ask you," he said. Sakura gave him her full attention and waited for him to continue.

"Yes?" she asked.

"On the occasions that call for it, would you…possibly be able to be there for Suki. You know, when she needs a woman around," He asked. "Her ballet class sometimes has these mother-daughter events and she always goes with her grandmother. But my mom isn't really able to keep up with her," He said. He watched as Sakura gave him a small smile.

"Of course Sasuke. Just call me anytime she needs to do some girl stuff. Hell, just call me whenever she needs anything," Said Sakura. "Suki is the sweetest most adorable little girl I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She reminds me so much of myself when I was a child. I know exactly what she needs, having been there myself,"

"Thank You," said Sasuke with genuine gratitude. He was relieved that she understood what he needed. Of course, he wasn't slow to return the favor. "You know, this can go both ways,"

"What?" she asked.

"Sora," he said. "You said yourself he would need a man's influence in his life. The kid could use it considering you probably baby him to no end," he said with a smirk. He received another punch in the same area as before. Wincing slightly, he looked over at the pink haired woman, who was smiling at him nonetheless.

"I can't help babying him, he's my _baby _after all," Said Sakura. "But thank you," she said softly. "I would love for him to be able to do some guy stuff with you. Hey, you can help him with his Karate. Seeing as how you're a black belt and all, you could be a really big help for him,"

"Of course," said Sasuke. "If he's with me, I can pretty much guarantee he'll become a little man in no time,"

Sakura smile a sad smile when he mentioned the words "Little man". _"They even think alike,"_ she thought as she recalled all the times when Sai would say that to Sora. She looked at Sasuke, who was looking right back at her. Under the moonlight, his face took on a more mysterious and illuminating glow. It only brought out the darkness of his eyes and Sakura found she was at a loss for words as she found herself transfixed into his gaze.

He really was…quite the man. She tried her hardest to look past the resemblance to Sai and try to see the real Sasuke; the man she was getting glimpse of right now. She snapped out of her trance when she felt Sasuke's hand wipe away at the tear the slipped down her cheek.

"Oh," she said as she brought her hand to her face. "Sorry, I didn't realize I was tearing up," she said as she wiped the top of her cheek.

Sasuke smirked. "You're too emotional,"

"Oh…shut up," she said while chuckling a bit. "At least I display my emotions a little. You could laugh more often just to prove that you're alive you know. I think Suki sucked out all the fun in you for herself. I'm just happy that's all,"

"For what?" he asked. He noticed that his arm had slid from her face to rest at her elbow, but he made no attempt to move away. Sakura brought her hand to rest on top of his arm.

"I'm just glad that you're willing to help Sora," she said. "I know how important it is for a boy to have a father figure in his life. He needs someone strong to help him grow up and I'm just glad that you're willing to be there for him," she said. "And I'm glad that you're opening up to me," she said.

"Hn," he said. "Just don't tell the Dobe," he said. "I'll never hear the end of it from him. And I actually think he's on to us," he said.

"Really?" asked Sakura. "How so?" she asked.

"He may be a Dobe, but he's not completely mental," said Sasuke as Sakura chuckled. "I noticed him trying to follow me tonight after I dropped off Suki. I managed to lose him at a red light," He said while smirking. He enjoyed the sound of Sakura's laughter. It made him feel at ease inside.

The both stayed quiet for a moment, enjoying each other's company. They were both sitting pretty close by now after scooting near each other and their arms were still sitting one on top of the other. Sakura's fingers absentmindedly played with the cloth of his jacket while he kept his arm in place at her elbow.

They both looked at each other at the same time. Sakura had to look up a bit, since he was considerably taller than her while he had to look down at her.

The wind blew hard this time, forcing some of Sakura's hair to blow into her face. She visibly shivered and before she could try to move the hair away from her face, Sasuke's hand beat her to it. He gently moved the hair away and tucked it behind her ear.

Sakura tried to suppress the blush that was creeping up to her cheeks and was thankful that it was pretty dark out tonight. She noticed that Sasuke's hand came to rest on top of hers.

"You're still cold," he said as he looked down at her.

"No I'm not," said Sakura quietly. "I'm as tough as they come," she said noting that his hand stayed in place.

Sasuke looked into her eyes and became mesmerized. He was drawn to the green. He felt his head become lower and closer to hers. She seemed frozen to the spot as she also noted his descent. Time seemed to go in super slow motion as neither one of them said a word, both waiting for what was to come. Sakura began to close her eyes as Sasuke came close enough to her face to where she could feel his warm breath on her frozen skin when all of the sudden…

**RING!**

Her cell phone rang, effectively ruining the moment.

They both pulled away from each other quickly as if they were pulled back into reality. Sakura, flushed, scrambled through her purse to reach for her blasted phone. She found it and opened it.

"Hello?" she said. It was Ino on the other line. "Ino? What's up?" she asked.

Sasuke watched as she talked on her phone. Apparently it was Ino, and Sakura's expression changed from flushed to worry as her son was mentioned.

"Oh, tell him I'll be right there. Thanks Ino," she said as she hung up and turned to Sasuke. "Sora doesn't feel well. Ino said he has a fever. I'm so sorry Sasuke but-"

"Let's go," he said while standing up. Sakura nodded and stood up as well, all the while not believing she almost let Sasuke kiss her. She never expected that to happen and was surprised at how she lost her focus when she was around him. They made their way briskly out of the park and back to the restaurant parking lot.

* * *

**Ino's House:**

Ino came to the door and opened it to reveal Sakura…and surprisingly Sasuke behind it.

"Is he okay Ino?" Sakura asked as she stepped into the house.

"He has a temperature of 101. He didn't really eat much tonight too. He's been asking for you for a while," she said as she guided them to the living room where Sora was lying on the couch. Sakura crouched down next to him and put her hand on his forehead. He was burning up.

"Sora? Sweetie, Mommy's here," she said as he began to wake up.

"Mommy," he whimpered. He was dressed in his pajamas and curled up in a blanket.

"We're going home, come on," she said as she lifted him off the couch. She carried him to the door and turned to Ino. "Thanks Ino." She said.

"No problem," she said. "But…uh…you're going to have to tell me all about…you know," she said slyly while pointing her head towards Sasuke's direction. She smiled when she saw Sakura blush a little. "You've got some explaining to do later forehead girl," she said with a smirk.

"Whatever Ino-pig, I'll talk to you tomorrow," Said Sakura as she carried Sora out the door. Sasuke was standing by his car with the passenger seat open for them.

He saw that Sora had no blanket and he looked cold. Before Sakura could get in, he took his jacket off and placed it around Sora. It was big enough to cover his little body like a blanket.

"Thanks Sasuke," said Sakura as she carefully got into the car with Sora in her lap. She was surprised at the thoughtful gesture, but then again, Sasuke was full of surprises tonight. Sasuke closed the door and got into the driver's side and pulled out.

As they drove back to Sakura's house, he kept glancing at Sakura, who was cradling Sora and stroking his hair while he snuggled against her. She was whispering soothing words to him and kissing his head. She was such a good mother.

If Suki was ever sick, that's the way he would want her to be treated. He would want her to have someone to snuggle with and whisper comforting words to her. More specifically, he would want Sakura to be the one to helps her.

He pulled up to her house and turned the ignition off. "I'll get him from outside," said Sasuke as he stepped out of the car. He went over to the passenger's side and opened the door. He took Sora from Sakura's arms and held him against his chest as Sakura got out. She placed Sasuke's jacket more securely onto Sora before the three of them went to the door.

After entering, they went upstairs to Sora's room. Sasuke laid him down on his bed while Sakura removed the jacket. She placed his blanket over him and tucked him in. "I'll be right back with some medicine, okay Sora?" she said as she kissed his head again.

She went downstairs with Sasuke after looking at Sora once more. He was still whimpering with discomfort.

"I have to go pick up Suki," said Sasuke as he walked towards the door. Sakura followed him out and closed the door behind her.

"Oh okay," said Sakura. "Well, thank you for tonight." She said while handing him his jacket. Before he could take it however, Sakura grabbed his arm and gasped. There was a huge bruise where she had punched him earlier.

"Oh my…Oh I'm so sorry about that Sasuke," she said while running her hand over the bruise. "See I told you that I punch hard," she said. "I knew you were in pain,"

"I wasn't in pain," he said while taking his jacket from her. "You don't even punch that hard," he said while putting his jacket on.

"The bruise says otherwise," she said. "I'm really sorry I punched you. And I'm sorry about all this," she said indicating the abrupt pick up.

"Sakura, stop apologizing," said Sasuke. "It's annoying," he said. He smirked when she pouted at him.

"Yeah well…Thanks anyway," she said. "Tonight was nice," said Sakura while crossing her arms over her chest. "And you can call me anytime you need help with Suki,"

"Same here," he said. "You should get back to Sora," He said.

"Yeah…" she said. Neither one moved. They just stood there by her front door, staring at each other. Sakura chuckled and stepped towards him.

Sasuke said nothing as she stood on her tiptoes on planted a small kiss on his cheek. She pulled away shyly and smiled at him before stepping in side her house. "Good night Mr. Uchiha," she said before closing the door.

Sasuke turned and walked back to his car. He couldn't help the smirk that made its way onto his face.

* * *

**Earlier…at the Uzumaki residence…**

Hinata and Suki were in the kitchen waiting for Hinata's famous double fudge cookies to finish baking. The timer went off with a ding signaling that they were done.

"Aunty Hinata they're done!" said Suki as she bounced up and down in the kitchen. Hinata laughed at her cuteness.

"Let's check on them shall we?" she said as she opened the oven. She pulled the cookies out, noting the stars in Suki's eyes and set them to cool on the counter. "Now, if only you're uncle Naruto would come back with the milk, we could start eating them," She said.

"I hope he comes back fast," said Suki as she eyed the cookies. They were sitting so close to her, mocking her with their chocolaty goodness.

They heard the front door open followed by Naruto's outburst.

"I'm home! Believe it!" shouted Naruto as he walked into the kitchen. "Hey the cookies are done," he said as he set all the shopping bags on the table. Suki bounced up and down with anticipation as she clung onto the back on his leg.

"Uncle Naruto, Uncle Naruto, Uncle Naruto… did you get the milk?" she asked while looking way up at him.

Naruto's smile fell. _"Damn, I knew I forgot something,"_ he thought. "_Hinata's not going to be happy about this,"_ he thought as he turned to face her.

"You forgot the milk?" asked Hinata as she eyed the bags that were no doubt filled with Ramen cups.

She was giving him her ultra-perky smile…the one she used when she was not a happy camper. "_Oh boy…she's pissed," _thought Naruto. "_I gotta get on the defensive,"_ he thought as he searched for some kind of shield mechanism. He glanced down and saw they perfect shield…their goddaughter.

"Heeeeey Suki," said Naruto as she lifted Suki high into the air. She giggled in delight as he did so. "Wanna see all the different kinds of Ramen I got?" he asked as he carried her towards the table.

"But uncle Narutoooooo," whined Suki. "Where's the milk?" she asked.

"Yes honey," said Hinata. "Where _is_ the milk?" asked Hinata as Naruto turned into a statue.

"Uhh…haha…well you see, there was a sale on Ramen and I kind of forgot about the milk and… I…ohh boy," said Naruto as he struggled to find the words. His sweet and lovable Hinata could scare him senseless when the occasion called for it. Her greatest weapon was the lack of some special nighttime "activities" that Naruto couldn't live without. And being the newlyweds that they still are, Naruto didn't want to miss out on any action tonight or any night for that matter.

"Well could you go back and get some?" she asked. "Our god daughter can't enjoy the cookies we baked without any milk now can she?" asked Hinata. Naruto sighed and turned to Suki.

"Pleeeeeease Uncle Naruto?" she asked with those huge green eyes of hers. Naruto sighed in defeat and placed her on the ground. No one on this planet can resist those eyes.

"Alright…I'll be right back," He said as he walked to the front door. Hinata followed him and grabbed his hand. She took out a black marker and wrote "Milk" on his palm.

"I'll be waiting for you," she said as she gave him a sweet kiss. "Come back soon okay?" she said as she hugged him. Now this was the Hinata he loved.

"Don't worry, I won't forget this time," He said as he wrapped his arms around her and locked her in a kiss. The broke apart when they heard some giggling coming from the corner. They both turned and saw Suki scurry back into the kitchen with a notoriously bitten into cookie in one hand.

The rest of the night came and went for the city of Tokyo as most of the population went to bed for the night.

But there was another city miles away, that had one figure that was not quite ready to sleep just yet.

* * *

**Miles away in Kyoto…**

**Kyoto memorial park: 11:00 PM**

The cemetery was still and quiet. The only noise that could be heard was the gentle rustling of the leaves as the wind picked up its speed. Tonight seemed to be particularly cold as the leaves from nearby trees broke off from the braches and danced around the grave stones.

The moon shone down on the field of graves, illuminating them with a beautiful yet eerie white glow. The night's light also highlighted the hair of the lone figure standing about in the cemetery. A man, tall and refined, stood in front of one particular grave. He looked onto the etchings on the gravestone.

**Rin Haruno Hatake**

**Beloved Wife, Mother and Friend**

Kakashi Hatake gazed upon the grave of his beloved wife, Rin. For the past twenty-five years, he had been coming to the cemetery as often as he possible could to spend some time with her. He had lost her all too soon into their short-lived marriage for she had died giving birth to their one and only daughter. Kakashi and Rin had discovered that Rin was pregnant when they were barley eighteen years old and thus, they married before their daughter was born.

"I'll see you again tomorrow, Rin," said Kakashi as he walked away from the grave; his long black trench coat swayed behind him as the wind picked up speed. He was an elegant man with his silvery white hair stylishly pointed out and his tall stature. His eyes were soft and easy, regardless of the scar going down his left eye. In his calmed state, he strolled out of the cemetery entrance. He drove back to his house and parked the car.

He opened the door and was greeted by his most trusted and faithful companions; his dogs. All in all he owned ten different breeds and they were all highly trained police hounds. Kakashi had trained them for his line of work and for one other very important reason…his daughter's protection.

As Kakashi patted his dogs on the head, he walked past them and went into his living room. He walked over to the fireplace to light it up. He then gazed at the many pictures the lined the mantle above it. They were all a collection of his daughter through the years. He smiled as he looked at the picture of a little 3-year-old pink haired girl with a toy stethoscope around her neck. He recalled the pleasant memories of how she would play with it all the time.

_21-year-old Kakashi Hatake was sitting in his study reading a very interesting book that he picked up at the bookstore called "Icha Icha Paradise". Apparently it was a new series that has just made its debut. He turned the page a let a small manly giggle escape his throat before he heard someone call out to him._

_"Daaaaaddyyyy" came a small voice from the doorway. Kakashi quickly slammed the book shut and tossed it over his shoulder before his three-year-old daughter came into the room. Kakashi smiled at his little girl, dressed in one of his white shirts that were entirely too large for her causing it to drag on the ground, with a little toy doctors kit in the other hand. Her short pink hair was held back with a small nurse's cap with a red cross on it, displaying her adorably big forehead._

_"Daddy, it's time for your check up," said little Sakura as she walked over to her father. He picked her up and put her in his lap._

_"Okay Dr. Sakura. I'm all yours," said Kakashi. Sakura took the stethoscope from her neck and placed in on her father's chest, head and nose. Kakashi tried not to laugh as he watched her face scrunch up adorably in concentration. She pulled away and looked at him._

_"Daddy, you're sick. You have to take some medicine," said Sakura as she reached for her kit. She pulled out a box of gumdrop candies and gave him one. "Here's the medicine Daddy. Now you'll be all better," said Sakura as Kakashi took the candy._

_"But where's daddy's kiss?" he asked. "Kisses make it all better," he said._

_Little Sakura smiled and kissed her father's cheek._

_"Thank you Dr. Sakura," he said. She got off his lap and smiled. She packed up her kit and mentioned something about fixing the doggies before heading out of the study again. He looked outside his window where he could get a clear view of his large backyard. He could see Sakura running up to the dogs, effectively staining his white shirt in the dirt._

_He smiled as his dogs ran up to her and began to play with her. He knew she was safe with them, so he got up and got his book and began to read where he left off._

Kakashi sighed as he took the picture from the mantle. He sat in his favorite armchair with the picture in hand while the dogs settled themselves at his feet. They seemed to sense his gloominess as they began licking his hand.

"Yeah," said Kakashi. "I miss her too," he said as he starred at the picture. It had been a few years since Sakura moved out of his house to go to medical school and Kakashi had missed having her around. Sighing again, he reached for the latest edition of Icha Icha paradise, which was still a popular book series even after all these years, and began reading.

The book was his escape from the qualms of the real world. He was a huge fan of its creator, the Legendary Research Engineer and Forensic Anthropologist known as Jiraya. Although he was known for his medical and law enforcement contributions, Jiraya had a side job writing novels.

After reading the book for another hour or so, Kakashi headed upstairs. He passed by a special room that was just down the hall from his own. He briefly opened the door and looked inside. It was Sakura's old bedroom. Everything that she ever had as a young girl was still perfectly intact in that room. It was as if she had never left at all. Her bedding and furniture were still there as well as pictures and other things hanging on the wall.

Kakashi had left the room the way it was because in a way, it made him feel like he could keep a part of the past with him. It made him feel like Sakura was still there and that she would be coming home any day now. He missed her that much. Closing the door, he walked to his own room and retired for the night.

* * *

**The next morning**:

Kakashi arrived at the Kyoto Police department at promptly 9:00 AM. Normally he was required to be there around 7:00AM, but somehow, he always managed to end up late. Not that it mattered. He runs the department and answers to no one but himself. As he entered the station, a few officers and personnel greeted him.

"Good morning Commander," said anyone he passed by. He returned the greeting with a nod of his head. He continued to walk deeper into the department until he reached his office. Upon entering, he locked the door behind him and went over to the bookshelf in the back of the room. He scanned the top shelf and reached for one particular book with a large black binding on the back. He pulled on it and slipped it back into its place.

He stepped back and watched as the entire wall made a soft click noise and it opened up from the side revealing a hidden passageway. Kakashi walked through the passage and clicked a button on the side of the wall, making the bookcase close off behind him and become the back wall once again.

This was something that every member of the Kyoto Police Department was unaware of. For their Commander, Hatake Kakashi, was much more than just the commander of the Kyoto Police Force.

He walked through the spacious passage and reached the lift at the end. There was finger print access pad located next to the lift. He placed his hand on the pad and waited for a second as the light scanned his fingerprints and flashed green. The doors of the lift opened up and he walked in.

The lift descended about 5 floors underground. The doors opened again and revealed another part of Law Enforcement that was unknown to the police force and the general public all together. Kakashi stepped out of the lift and entered the area that was thought to be a myth to most people: The Kyoto Branch of the CIA.

Commander Kakashi Hatake of the KPD was really Commander of the Central Intelligence Agency, Kyoto division. He was a top-notch CIA agent and his cover was working for the KPD as a normal officer.

The underground department was much different from the simplistic police department on the surface. This place was covered in black metallic walls and sophisticated lighting and architecture. There were agents walking around all over the place wearing their suits and uniforms and exchanging information and conversation with each other. Again, when Kakashi passed by, he was greeted with the typical "Good Morning Commander"

He nodded at all of them and continued walking. Kakashi was given the utmost respect in the department for his career in the CIA was legendary. He began working for them at the tender age of ten. He was considered a genius in his grade schools days with aptitude and IQ test scores that caught the interest of the government and the intelligence agency. He was recruited and trained by the ANBU division, a team of highly skilled and trained agents, and quickly rose in his ranks from an agent at the age of ten to becoming captain and age eighteen and then commander at age twenty. Now, at age Forty-three, Kakashi was still going strong.

"Late as always," came a voice from behind him. Kakashi didn't even have to stop walking, as he already knew who was behind him. "You know that's not a very good example for the rest of the subordinates," said the person.

"And you should know that smoking within the premises constitutes for confiscation of the offensive object," said Kakashi as he looked over at his longtime friend. "You're not setting a very good example for yourself…Asuma," he replied.

Asuma grinned as he put out his cigarette and tossed it in the nearest dispenser. "Yeah, well, you know you could never write up and old friend," Said Asuma as he continued walking with Kakashi. He wore a black jumpsuit similar to a sniper suit with a green vest over it that held multiple pockets to store gadgets and whatnot.

They parted ways and Kakashi proceed to his real office. He opened the door after placing his hand yet again on an access pad. Once the doors opened, he walked into his other office and took a seat behind his desk. Before getting down to business, he took a look at the pictures that sat on his desktop.

There was one picture of Rin, followed by another picture of Sakura as a child. The next picture was Sakura's college graduation where she was dressed in her black cap and gown…and visibly pregnant. Kakashi always had mixed feelings when he looked at that particular picture.

Although Sakura had proven herself to be able to handle anything, he still wished she had waited to have kids. He knew, better than anyone that having a child at a young age would complicate things and change your life completely.

"_And your life sure did change_," he thought as he looked over at the next picture of an adorable little baby boy with black hair and equally dark eyes; his precious grandson Sora. Next to the picture was a finger painting that was given to him by Sora. It was a picture of a stick figure with silvery hair and a black coat surrounded by a bunch of dogs with "Grandpa" written across it in a sloppy manner. Kakashi had placed it in a frame.

The phone rang and he pushed the button located on his phone. This caused the large holographic screen behind him to turn on and display his caller.

"Kakashi here," he said while looking up at the screen.

"Well it's about time you got here Kakashi!" came a booming voice of the speaker. "We still have to meet and settle our match or may they burning power of youth bring you down!" said the man. He was a tall man with thick eyebrows and a shiny bowl haircut wearing a green jumpsuit with a black vest that all the agents wore.

"Guy," said Kakashi. "Is there anything _important_ that you need?" asked Kakashi in his laid back manner. He pulled out his Icha Icha paradise and began reading it.

"Ahhhh that really burns me up Kakashi! We've got to settle the score!" he shouted. "I know it can be a little intimating to face off with me, your greatest rival," said Guy in a suave voice while looking away from the screen. "But that's no reason to hide in fear of defeat," said Guy as he looked back into the screen.

Kakashi looked up from his book. "Hm? What? Did you say something Guy?" he asked offhandedly.

" Gaaaahhh that really burns me up. Damn you Kakashi, why do always have to act so coooooooool?" shouted Guy as he raised his arms over his head dramatically.

"Status report Guy," said Kakashi as he placed the book down. Guy calmed down immediately and got down to business.

He cleared his throat before saying "We've successful scouted the Tokyo area. No signs of a threat are present,"

"And the body guard stations?" Kakashi asked.

"Lee has reported in this morning from his post in the academy and says that everything is in order…you're grandson is safe and is doing just fine Kakashi," Said Guy. "We've also received the reports from our undercover agents stationed at KMC as well as status reports from Akatsuki via Itachi Uchiha. Your daughter is also safe and is doing just fine," he concluded.

Kakashi leaned back in his seat and sighed. "Good," he said with relief. "Thank you…Guy," he said before turning the screen off.

Not even Sakura, his one and only daughter, knew about what he really did for a living. Her whole life, he had just been "Daddy". She never once did she know that he was a CIA agent. Now that she was a single parent and living away from his protection, Kakashi had several of his most trusted undercover agents stationed around Sakura and Sora for their protection.

He was forever the protective father and now grandfather.

Kakashi leaned back in his chair and thought about the past ten years. His whole life changed on that one fateful day; the day he was sent a new recruit from a special division of ANBU.

Kakashi had been looking for someone to watch over his then sixteen-year-old daughter while he was busy at work and missions. The man that was presented to him was the same age as his daughter.

He was at the top of his ranks in the division known as "ROOT". This agent was the one he entrusted to care for his daughter. The one that he assigned to make sure that no harm came to her from any of his enemies, to make sure that she was safe at school and on the way back home.

Never in his life did he imagine that after three years of service, that very same agent would change his life and Sakura's forever.

He never imagined that that agent would go against his command and violate his orders.

He never imagined that that agent would challenge him in a battle of will and determination.

He never imagined that that agent would be so bold as to declare his undying love to his daughter and that she loved him just as much.

He never imagined that that agent would marry his daughter and become the father of his grandchild.

He never imagined that Sai Arisugaki, special task force agent of the ANBU black ops ROOT division, the man he hired to keep his daughter safe, would be the one to take her away from him.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**If anyone is confused let me break it down for you. Kakashi is a CIA agent who used the police department as a cover. Sai was an agent too and used being an artist and photographer as his cover. Sakura is clueless to any of this. She had to be kept in the dark for her own protection. **

**Special thanks to Sweet Tradgedy who inspired me to use Rin as Sakura's mother. She is a friggin genius. All hail Sweet Tradgedy. **

**If you have any more questions, just ask. We'll let me know what you all think about this chapter. This is where my fic takes a turn into the drama genre. More twists and turns pop out later and of course, some more Sasuke/Sakura moments. **

**Review because you guys rock. **


	14. For the Kids

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 14: For the Kids**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Saturday, October 11: Uchiha Estate**

Sasuke entered Suki's room at promptly 10:00 AM in the morning. Today was his little girls 5th birthday and he had to wake her up if she wanted to get ready on time. He knelt beside her bed and watched her sleeping figure for a bit. As usual she was curled up in the corner while suffocating her stuffed pig Tonton.

"Suki," said Sasuke as he gently shook her awake. She just shifted away from him and curled up even more with her stuffed animal. "Suki…today's your birthday," said Sasuke. She immediately bolted out of her slumber.

"Yay!" she shouted. "Daddy, today's my birthday!" she shouted. Sasuke smiled at her and lifted her out of bed.

"Yeah, now you go and get cleaned up. Everyone will be here soon," He said as he took her to the bathroom. He put her down and let her brush her teeth and wash her face. He went downstairs and left Suki to get ready.

Sasuke was already dressed in black pants and a dark green sweater. The party was being held in the back yard and Naruto, Hinata and Neji had come over last night to set up the decorations and such. The weather was holding up so it shouldn't be too cold.

The doorbell rang and he went to the front door to answer it. He opened the door to reveal his parents.

"Hello Sasuke," said his mother, Mikoto, as she stepped inside. His father, Fugaku, followed her inside and placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Son," he said. "Where is Suki?" he asked.

"Getting ready," said Sasuke as he and his parents went into the kitchen.

"I can't believe my only grandchild is turning five years old today," said Mikoto as she sat down on the stool by the counter. She was a beautiful woman with long black hair and dark eyes like Sasuke. She was wearing a nice red dress with a black sweater.

"Sasuke, where is Itachi?" asked Fugaku. He was a strong looking man whose hairstyle was clearly adopted by Sasuke.

"Who knows?" asked Sasuke. "He said he'd be here," Said Sasuke. Mikoto went upstairs to help Suki get ready for the party. It was part of her grandmotherly duties after all.

"How are the preparations for the conference going?" asked Fugaku.

"Everything is set. We leave for Kyoto one week before Christmas," said Sasuke. He and Fugaku continued to talk about business and such. It was all they ever really talked about anyway.

* * *

**Uzumaki Household: **

Naruto cursed as he failed to think of a way to transfer his "gift" to Sasuke's house. He was currently outside in the garage area where he had been working on Suki's gift for the past three months. Hinata came outside with some coffee.

"We need to get going soon," she said as she handed him the cup. "I need to get there early and finish decorating the cake,"

"Yeah I know, but what are we going to do about that?" asked Naruto as he pointed to the gift. Hinata sighed and looked at her watch. They had about two hours to get ready and go, and knowing Naruto, it would take that long.

"Maybe you can call Neji," said Hinata as she hugged Naruto from behind. "I'm sure he can come over and help you get that to Sasuke's house," she said. Naruto turned around and placed his arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, but then Neji will get all smart ass about it," Said Naruto. "But I guess I have no other choice." He said as he pulled out his cell phone.

* * *

**Hyuga Household: **

"Neji," said Tenten as she stood in front of the mirror.

"Yes?" he asked as he stepped into their room. He found Tenten in front of the mirror, wearing nice black pants with a pink silk top. It was form fitting, so the new baby bump was clearly visible.

"Do these pants make me look fat?" she asked as she examined her backside in the mirror.

"…" was Neji's response. The parenting magazine didn't say anything about what to tell you wife when she asks those kinds of questions. Tenten was looking at him expectantly but he gave no response.

"Well?" she asked as she faced him. Neji was going to respond, but the ringing of his cell phone stopped him.

"Hello?" he said while silently glad for the interruption. He listened as Naruto complained about his gift to Suki. "All right, I'll be there. You should have thought about this before Naruto," he said as he hung up the phone.

"What's up?" asked Tenten forgetting about her wardrobe for a second.

"Naruto needs us to help him transport Suki's gift to the Uchiha's house," Said Neji as he grabbed his coat from the closet.

"What did he build her?" asked Tenten curiously. Neji just shrugged and helped Tenten get into her own coat.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's unstable. Let's go," he said as he led Tenten to the car.

* * *

**Sakura's House: **

"Sora are you almost done sweetie?" asked Sakura from downstairs. Sora was still upstairs trying to get ready for Suki's party, while she was already good to go. Sakura decided on wearing a simple white dress with a black flowery pattern printed all over it and a dark red half jacket over it.

"Mommy, I don't want to wear this," whined Sora as he came down the stairs. Sakura turned around and smiled at him. He was wearing a little black suit with a blue tie, which he was tugging on constantly. He looked like a little businessman and it was just too cute for Sakura to handle.

"Ohhhhh Sora you look so handsome," said Sakura as she kissed his cheek. "But you have to dress nice for Suki's party. Everyone else is going to dress nicely too. Now let's go," she said as she grabbed the gift they bought her and headed out the door.

Sakura was a little nervous about seeing Sasuke again. After their "almost" kiss, she didn't know where his feelings about her stood, and it was just bugging her. She figured she might as well get to the bottom of that as soon as possible, and what better time than the present?

* * *

**Uchiha Estate:**

Sasuke and Fugaku were in the back yard getting all the last minute stuff done. Fugaku turned around when he heard Suki shouting.

"Grandpa!" shouted Suki as she ran up to him. She was wearing a nice little white and red dress that went all the way down to her ankles. There was a pink ribbon in her hair that held in half up. She was also wearing the chain that Sakura had given her at the recital.

Fugaku smiled a real smile and picked up his only grandchild. "Hello princess," he said as she hugged him. "Happy birthday, you look really pretty," He said as she giggled.

"Grandma said so too," she said. She turned to Sasuke and smiled. "Daddy! When is everybody coming?" she asked.

"Soon," he said. Not a minute later, the first of the guest had arrived.

"Suki!" shouted Akira as she ran to them. Akio was close by followed by both Shikamaru and Ino, who was carrying the gift. Suki was placed back down and she and Akira went off to play.

"Sasuke," said Shikamaru as he and Ino approached. He turned to Fugaku and nodded his head in greeting.

"So Sasuke," said Ino, "Where should I put the gifts?" asked Ino. Sasuke pointed over to a table in the corner and Ino left in that direction.

"Has the Dobe called you?" asked Sasuke to Shikamaru.

"No, why?" he asked while looking up at the clouds.

"Hn, just curious. He said he would be having trouble getting his "homemade" gift here. I don't want any accidents," Said Sasuke. They heard the sound of a car horn honking from out in the front and both Sasuke and Shikamaru went out to investigate. When they got there, they saw Naruto, standing besides Neji's SUV with Tenten in the front seat.

"Hey Sasuke, Shikamaru," said Naruto as he waved at them. They were both too preoccupied with what was hanging by a thread on top of Neji's car. There was some sort of huge box like structure covered in a pink sheet that Naruto was trying to keep in balance.

"Dobe, what the hell is that?" asked Sasuke in an annoyed voice as he and Shikamaru approached with caution.

"Naruto, hurry up and get it down," shouted Tenten from the inside the car. Neji had parked and gotten out of the car to help get the contraption down.

"A little help would be nice," said Neji as held onto one side. Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Naruto each covered a side of the gift. Tenten got out of the car and became the voice of motivation as the guys struggled to get the gift off the top of the car and into the back yard.

"Come on guys, almost there," said Tenten as she led them into the backyard. The guys were breathing pretty hard with pretty sore hands as they finally settled the device on the ground towards the back of the large yard.

"I didn't think it would be that heavy," said Naruto as he wiped his forehead with his forearm.

"You didn't _think_ is more like it," said Sasuke as they moved away from the gift. They heard the sound of a dog barking followed by the sound of kids laughing.

"Hey guys," said the owner of the dog. "Long time no see," he said as he approached the guys.

"Hey Kiba," said Naruto. "Glad you could make it. Where's Jun?" he asked.

"Over there with Akamaru," He said as he pointed to his son and his large white dog. The kids seemed to be enjoying the enormous dog, especially Suki.

Over the course of twenty minutes, the party really started to get going. More guests had arrived and Hinata was in the kitchen with Tenten and Ino, trying to finish up the cake.

"Almost done," said Hinata as she piped the last of the flowers onto the large pink cake.

"Wow Hinata, you should have become a pastry chef. That cake looks amazing," said Ino as she admired the cake.

"Seriously" said Tenten. "But then again, you were always a good chef in general. Heck, you can come and live with Neji and me. We could use a good chef around," said Tenten as she leaned back in her chair and placed her hands around her belly. "This little one needs some good food for now," she said as she looked at her stomach.

"Exactly how far are you Tenten?" asked Ino as she eyed Tenten's belly.

"Barely four months," said Tenten, although she looked a little more than that. Ino looked to be in deep thought.

"Only four?" asked Ino. "You look farther along than that. I would say at least five months Tenten," She said. "I was pretty big when I was pregnant too, but then later I found out we were having twins so it all made sense," Said Ino.

Tenten suddenly became nervous. Was Ino actually figuring it out? NO! She couldn't. Ino had the biggest mouth in the universe. She would surely blab to the whole world including Neji.

"You're not having twins, are you Tenten?" asked Ino. Hinata stopped piping and looked over at them. Tenten froze, but soon relaxed as she figured she might as well tell a half-truth.

"No guys," she said. "I am NOT having twins," said Tenten as she leaned back into her seat. "Oh I can't wait until Suki cuts that cake. I haven't seen anything that pink since I met Sakura," Said Tenten as all the girls laughed.

Hinata stopped laughing and looked at the cake. "I was hoping you and Neji would have twins," she said with a frown. "I was looking forward to as many new babies in the family as soon as possible," she said.

"Well Hinata," said Ino. "I guess you and Naruto will just have to get busy making your own kids then huh?" said Ino. Hinata blushed a deep red and actually began to fidget with her hands.

"Have Kids? Oh no, Naruto and I have only been married a few months. It would be way too soon," she said while looking away. Secretly, she really wanted to start having kids as soon as possible. But she knew that it would be better to wait. Naruto had to be ready too.

"Yeah, well," said Tenten. "I guess you've already got one big kid to look after anyway," she said as she looked out the window from the kitchen. Hinata turned to look to and saw Naruto trying his hardest to move the gift in place after the guys had abandoned him. The kids were having a blast watching him on the sidelines and cheering him on.

The doorbell rang and Tenten left to go and open it. She opened the door to reveal Sakura and Sora standing outside.

"Hey Tennie," said Sakura as she gave her a hug.

"Hey Sakura. Hey Sora!" said Tenten as she bent down to hug her adorable godson. She had some difficulty since her belly was in the way.

"Hi Aunt Tenten," he said as she ruffled his hair and made a fuss about how adorable he looked in the suit.

"Everyone is in the back yard Sora," said Tenten as he ran past her. Sakura and Tenten closed the door and went into the kitchen.

"Hello all you beautiful people," said Sakura as she walked into the kitchen. "Oh Hinata, that is the most gorgeous cake I've ever seen," said Sakura as she took a seat by Ino.

"Thank you," said Hinata. "I saw it in a gourmet magazine. It's called the Pinkcherryblossom225 model (:**D**) and since Suki is little pink princess, it was only fitting," She said.

"True," said Sakura. "Um, where's the birthday girl?" she asked.

"Outside," said Ino. "With her _father_," said Ino slyly. She didn't forget to bug Sakura about showing up with Sasuke at her house a couple days ago.

"Uhhh…o…okay," said Sakura as she walked towards the back yard. "_Blast, she didn't forget!"_ thought Sakura as she stepped outside. She was amazed at the size of Sasuke's backyard. Then again, she was amazed at his house all together. She even thought she had the wrong address when she drove up to the huge house.

She spotted the table that contained all the gifts and placed hers on the top of the pile. She turned around and observed the party. There were around twenty or so guests having a good time chatting and watching their kids play. Sakura scanned the area where the kids were playing and spotted Suki in a cute little dress playing with her friends.

"Fancy meeting you here," came a voice from behind her. She turned around and was met with a familiar face.

"Oh, hi there…Kiba was it?" she asked as she eyed the tattooed man. He just grinned at her and flashed his smile that revealed white teeth, with rather large incisors, almost like a dog.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you remember me, Dr. Haruno," he said.

"Sakura," she said. "We're not in the hospital. Are you a friend of Sasuke's?" she asked while smiling.

"Yeah, you could say that," said Kiba as he took a sip of his drink. "But my son over there is friends with the birthday girl," he said while indicating the group of children playing with the big white dog.

"Oh, well I'm glad to see that Jun is doing just fine," she said as she eyed the dog. She didn't forget that Jun's case was about a parasite and was curious about that dog.

"Don't worry," said Kiba. "Akamaru over there is clean. There aren't any parasite's on him," he said as if reading her mind.

"Oh, sorry," she said sheepishly as she blushed a bit. "My son just got over a bad fever and I'm just a little cautious right now," she said. "Um will you excuse me Kiba," she said as she looked up at him. Everyone was so much taller than her.

"Sure," he said as he watched her leave towards the kids. He wasn't the only one watching her, as he didn't fail to notice a pair of dark onyx eyes that have been observing him and Sakura for a while.

Sakura strolled over the kids. "Suki," she called out. Suki turned around and smiled as she saw Sora's mommy coming towards her.

"Happy birthday sweetie," said Sakura as she bent down and gave Suki a hug and a kiss on the head.

"Thank you Aunty Sakura," she said while giggling. "Look," she said as she brought the necklace into view.

"Oh you're wearing the necklace. Guess what though," she said.

"What?" asked Suki. Sakura pulled out her necklace that her own father gave to her and showed it to Suki.

"You and me are almost matching," she said while indicating their attire. They were both wearing white and red.

"Oh yeah! Cool!" giggled Suki. "Look, I have pink in my hair too," she said as she spun around to show her pink ribbon. Sakura laughed at her cute antics.

"Aunt Hinata is done decorating your cake. You think we should cut it soon?" she asked. She smiled as Suki bounced up and down and shouting "Yes," again and again.

"Okay, but first," said Sakura as she pulled a camera from her purse. "It's time for pictures," she said.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: **

Sasuke was just talking to a few of the guests that had arrived. As they were talking, Sasuke noticed that Sora had just coming running out of the house and into the back yard. Sasuke thought he looked like a little businessman dressed in that suit. But if he was here, then that meant that Sakura was also here.

He didn't see her outside, so he just figured that she was still inside. He hadn't spoken to her after the "date" seeing as how she had to take care of Sora. He actually didn't know how to approach her after all that. What he was really curious about was whether or not she would mention their "close encounter" the other night.

After a few more minutes, he saw Sakura walk out. She headed over to the gift table and placed her gift on top. Sasuke smirked at the dress she was wearing. She almost matched Suki's outfit except for the fact that Sakura's dress stopped right at the knee, revealing her slender legs. Sasuke had to keep his eyes up north. Something about her legs just got him so…distracted.

What he saw next was something else. Kiba walked up to her from behind. She looked surprised to see him but it looked like he knew her. He watched them converse briefly and for some reason, Sasuke found that even though Kiba was considered his friend, he didn't quite like him talking to Sakura.

Not that he had anything to think about. Kiba was married. But still, Sasuke just didn't like seeing Sakura talk with him like that. But he couldn't complain. It's not like Sakura was his wife or anything. They went out on one "date" if you could even call it that. He had no claims on her.

That's what he kept telling himself as he watched her excuse herself, with a microscopic blush on her face, and walk towards the kids. It didn't make him feel any better when he saw that Kiba was still watching her as she walked away from him. Wasn't that fool married? Sasuke glared in Kiba's direction before looking back at Sakura.

He watched as Sakura came up to Suki, who seemed excited to see her. He gave a small smile as he saw Sakura bend down to give Suki a big hug and kiss and talk about some stuff that he couldn't hear from this distance. He decided to walk over there when he saw Sakura pull out a camera.

* * *

**Normal POV: **

"Okay, Suki, Sora, Akira, Akio and Jun stand next to each other," said Sakura as she called out to the five. Sora and Akira reluctantly came, as they were disappointed to be away from Jun's dog. Akio just looked bored.

The five of them looked so cute standing next to each other like that. They were just short replicas of one of their parents.

"Okay…. smile!" said Sakura as she snapped the picture. "Perfect," she said as the kids tried to scatter. "Wait a minute, Sora and Suki. I want one of you guys next to each other," she said. Sora pouted and came back.

"Mommy, can I take this off?" asked Sora as he tugged on his blue tie.

"But you look so handsome with your tie on," Said Sakura. Sora continued to pout. Sakura smiled on the inside. Sora was just not the suit and tie type of kid. "_Just like his father,"_ she thought. "Okay, you can take it off after we cut the cake…alright?" she said.

"I like your tie Oniichan" whispered Suki so that Sakura couldn't hear her. "My daddy wears it all the time," said Suki. Sora stopped fidgeting, but scowled nonetheless.

"Okay come on, picture time," said Sakura as she positioned the camera. Sora and Suki stood next to each other. "Smile" said Sakura as she took the picture. Suki looked behind Sakura and smiled.

"Daddy!" she shouted as she ran up to him. Sakura turned around and stood up from her crouched position. Sasuke was standing about four feet away from her with a bouncing Suki at his side. She hadn't seen much of him since their…non-date or whatever it was. Not to mention that kiss they almost had was still floating in her mind.

"Daddy, me and Aunty Sakura are matching!" said Suki as she held onto Sasuke's hand. "And we have the same necklace,"

"That's interesting Suki," he said as he smiled down at his daughter. He turned his attention to Sakura, who looked like she had an idea in her head.

"Hi Sasuke. Hey, hold Suki," Said Sakura. "I want to get a picture of you two," she said while holding up her camera. She eyed Sasuke up and down and thought he looked rather nice wearing green. He and Suki looked like Christmas with the red and green going on.

"I'm not one for pictures," said Sasuke.

"Oh come on," said Sakura. "Capture the moment. Suki only turns five once," she said.

"Yeah Daddy, let's take a picture!" said Suki as she held her arms out for Sasuke. He sighed and picked her up and held her close to him.

"Smile," said Sakura as she held the camera up in front of her. Suki flashed a big toothy smile as Sasuke remained stoic. Sakura sighed and placed the camera down. "Sasuke, can you move the ends of your mouth in an upward motion?" she asked. She laughed when he did the opposite and frowned.

"Just take the picture Sakura," he said exasperatedly.

"Suki, can you make your daddy smile?" asked Sakura. Suki nodded her head and placed her small hands on Sasuke's face. She tried to force the ends of his mouth upward, making Sasuke look ridiculous…but still ridiculously handsome. Suki giggled at her father and Sakura had to resist the laugh in her throat.

She began to take as many pictures as she could of the two of them like that. Each frame had Sasuke slowly move Suki's hands away, but eventually, he placed a small, but real smile onto his face towards the end.

"Ah ha!" said Sakura as she looked at the pictures in the digital camera. "I caught Sasuke smiling," she said. Sasuke placed Suki down and Sora walked up to them. He stood near Sakura and sort of hid behind her a little.

"Sora," said Sakura as she looked down at him. "Want to say hi to Sasuke?" she said while pulling him in front of her. This was the opportunity for him to start being polite. Sasuke looked down at the kid and saw his hesitation. He also saw that Sora didn't want to keep his blue tie on seeing as how it was partially pulled out of place.

"Hi Mr. Uchiha," said Sora quietly.

"Just call me Sasuke," said Sasuke. Sora nodded.

"Okay," said Sora. He looked up at Sakura with pleading eyes. "Mommy, I don't want to wear this," he whined as he continued to tug at the tie.

"Sweetie I already said you could take it off after we cut the cake," Said Sakura. "Just hold on a little longer,"

Sasuke smirked at the kid. He remembered when _his_ mother made him wear those ridiculous suits as a kid. His family was always going to fancy parties and Mikoto always insisted that he and Itachi wear those stupid neckties. Sasuke figured if he was going to get on Sora's good side, he might as well start out now.

"Just let him take it off," said Sasuke. Sora looked up at Sasuke, surprised at his suggestion. "He looks more like a business man that a kid anyway," he said. Sora looked up hopefully at Sakura.

"He can…after I take more pictures when Suki cuts the cake," said Sakura. "It'll be a while until I can get him into a suit again so I'm keeping him like this as long as I can,"

"…You're annoying even to your own kid," said Sasuke. Sakura semi-glared at him and Sora looked like he was suppressing a laugh at his mother. "I guess we'll just have to cut the cake now then," said Sasuke. Suki squealed in excitement and Sora looked relieved that he would be able to be free of the tie soon.

"Yay," squealed Suki. "Cut the cake! Cut the Cake!" shouted Suki as she ran off to tell her friends. Sora ran off with her as well leaving Sasuke and Sakura together.

"Hmmm," said Sakura as she looked over Sasuke. "Is someone trying to get on my son's good side?" she said teasingly.

"Hn," he said. Sakura just gave him a frozen look.

"You know," she said. "If we weren't surrounded by people, I would have punched you again," she said as she flipped through the pictures in the camera. Sasuke looked down at her and raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you felt guilty about that, not that it hurt anyway," he mumbled.

"Please," said Sakura while putting her hand on her hip. "The gigantic bruise is solid proof. I wouldn't be surprised if it's still there," she said.

"Hn," said Sasuke. Sakura just rolled her eyes at him and sighed.

"Well, I guess I better tell Hinata to bring the cake out," said Sakura. She turned and started to walk back to the house.

"Sakura," said Sasuke. She stopped and turned back to face him.

"Yes?" she asked. Sasuke looked her over briefly before making eye contact with her.

"You look…nice," he said while shoving his hands in his pockets and looking away. Sakura blinked twice before allowing a small smile to come onto her face.

"Oh," she said. "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself ," she said jokingly before heading back into the house. Sasuke watched her leave with a smirk on his face. Her legs caught his attention again and it took quite a bit of effort to tear his gaze away from them. He couldn't get caught eyeing her or anyone for that matter.

He turned around to get back to the party and his smirk faded. He caught Neji's gaze. He was giving Sasuke a look, and he couldn't really tell what it was. But one thing was obvious; Neji had been watching him and Sakura for a while. He watched the Hyuga make his way over towards him.

"Hyuga," said Sasuke as Neji stopped in front of him. Even though they were friends, Sasuke and Neji were sort of rivals back in their high school and college days. They would normally call each other on more familiar terms, but occasionally, they would revert back to the last name basis.

"Uchiha," said Neji as they sort of glowered at each other down. "What was that I just witnessed?" asked Neji as he looked directly at Sasuke. He was exactly eye level with Sasuke as far as height was concerned.

"Hn," Said Sasuke. "What are you talking about?" he said casually.

"I know you're not a fool Uchiha," said Neji. "I saw you looking Sakura over," he said accusingly. "Don't try to deny it,"

Sasuke gave Neji a hard look. "And what has you so on edge?" he asked. What was with all these married fools and their perimeter around Sakura?

"Watch it Uchiha," Neji warned while narrowing his eyes. "Sakura is like family to me. She's been hurt and I don't want to see her get hurt again. Don't toy with her," said Neji warningly as he walked away. Sasuke glared at his retreating form.

Who the hell did that damn Hyuga think he was talking to? As if Sasuke was one to toy with people. Sasuke looked at the entrance of the back yard and saw Naruto carrying out Suki's rather large and ridiculously pink three-tiered birthday cake.

"All right everyone!" shouted Naruto at the top of his lungs. "Time for the Cake! Believe it!" he shouted. All the kids cheered and ran to the table. Sasuke saw Sakura, Hinata, Ino and Tenten come out from inside the house and stand around the kids. Sakura had her camera out and ready.

Naruto placed the cake down on the table and lifted Suki on a chair so that she could stand right in front of it. All the other kids crowded around her and starred in amazement at the cake.

Everyone sang happy birthday to Suki, who was blushing a little with all the attention. After they were done singing, Sakura shouted to Suki.

"Make a wish Suki," she said while holding up her camera. Suki looked at her for a second before looking back at the candles. She closed her eyes and wished really hard for something that she's always wanted more than anything.

"_I wish I had a mommy,"_ thought Suki as she opened her eyes and blew out the candles. There was a flash of light from the camera and Suki looked back at Sakura, who was smiling at her. Suki smiled right back and then looked up at Sasuke. He just smiled at her and helped her cut the cake.

"Mommy!" shouted Sora as he ran up to Sakura. She knew what he wanted.

"Wait, I need a few more pictures of you with the kids," she said as she took him over to the kids and the cake. She snapped a good fifty or so picture with all the kids and their parents. Tenten insisted that she keep the camera away from her because she was too self-conscious with the baby bump, but that sure didn't stop Sakura from snapping pictures of her anyway. Sakura had the camera taken away from her by Neji.

"You should be in some of those pictures too," he said as he shoved her towards the kids.

Sakura went over to Suki, who was still standing on the chair and had Neji take a picture with her. Sora joined them later on and then several more pictures were taken at random. Somehow, Sasuke got dragged in there by Ino, who was smiling way too much in Sasuke's opinion.

"Let's get one with all four of them." Said Ino as Neji positioned the camera. Sakura was silently glaring daggers at Ino for being blatantly obvious. As the pictures were being taken, Sakura noticed two people in particular watching them from the back. There was a tall, proud looking man with chicken hair just like Sasuke and a really beautiful older woman with long raven hair and onyx eyes.

"_Could they be Sasuke's parents?"_ thought Sakura as she turned her head towards Sasuke. Sasuke caught her gaze for a second before the flash went off, capturing the moment. Sakura briefly studied his face and then went back to the older couple. There wasn't any doubt that they were his parents.

"Mommy, I wanna take this off now," whined Sora who was tugging on her skirt. He was getting pretty fussy.

"Oh all right," said Sakura in a defeated voice. She took the tie off and placed in her purse. Sora smiled in relief and went about playing with Akio and Jun and his dog. Sasuke took Suki off the chair and allowed her to roam around.

"Had enough pictures?" he asked sarcastically. His eyes were still seeing little lights everywhere.

"You can never have enough pictures," said Sakura. "I could give you some copies if you like, even the ones with Suki forcing you to laugh. I bet Naruto would love some copies as well," she said with a grin.

"Delete those," he ordered. Sakura stuck her tongue at him childishly and shook her head. She looked behind Sasuke and saw Hinata and the girls get started on the cake.

Hinata came and cut the whole cake into pieces for everyone. Tenten and Ino helped her along with the older woman with the dark hair.

* * *

**Mikoto's POV:**

"Girls," said Mikoto. "Who is that woman talking to Sasuke?" she asked as she eyed the two.

"Oh her name is Sakura," Tenten answered. "She was my best friend in college. She's a doctor now, working for us at Konoha Medical," Mikoto nodded in understanding and continued watching the pair from afar.

It was an interesting sight to see, because for all she knew, her son was never one to associate so freely with a woman before. And this particular woman had a very interesting appearance with that pink hair and obviously green eyes even from this distance.

"And that child that was standing by her, might I assume that he is her son?" asked Mikoto as her eyes traveled to Sora, who was playing with Akio and Jun. Mikoto couldn't help but notice how much the boy looked like Sasuke at that age, with a few subtle differences of course.

"You assumed correct Mikoto," said Ino. "His name is Sora and he is just the handsomest little man," said Ino. "I wonder if I could betroth Sora and Akira," Said Ino. They all laughed at the thought.

"I don't think so Ino," said Tenten while chuckling. "Sakura is a die-hard believer in love. Believe me, she's the farthest thing from accepting when it comes to arranged marriages. The idea of it all just sickens her," Said Tenten. "Actually, I'm surprised _you_ would consider betrothing your kid Ino,"

"Lighten up Tenten, I was only joking," said Ino. The three continued to cut the cake and chat. Mikoto continued to watch Sasuke and Sakura interact. They seemed pretty natural around each other; and by natural, she means that Sakura wasn't throwing herself at him and he was actually making eye contact with her when he was talking.

Perhaps she was making something out of nothing, but Mikoto had a feeling that there was probably something more going on between the two and if there was, then she herself really didn't know what to make of it. She never met Sakura and therefore, couldn't make an instant opinion.

But there was something that she didn't need an introduction to notice; Sakura was obviously a very beautiful woman.

* * *

**Normal POV: **

"Daddy, can I open my presents now?" asked Suki as she finished of the last of her cake. Sasuke nodded and all the kids and parents gathered around the gift table. Suki sat on the grass and all the kids sat in a circle around her.

"Here's the first one," said Mikoto as she handed one gift to Suki. She tore open several presents and received various toys and clothing from all the guests. Now it was coming down to the last of the gifts.

"And here's the last one from…Sakura and Sora," said Mikoto as she read the card. She handed the pink wrapped gift to Suki. Sasuke looked at Sakura, who had her camera ready. Suki tore through the gift-wrap and held up the gift.

"Coooool," shouted Suki. In her hands, was a small toy doctor's kit. "Thank you Aunty Sakura, thank you Sora," said Suki as she held onto the doctor's kit.

Naruto came and grabbed Suki and lifted her onto his shoulders. "All right now, I saved the best gift for last," he said as he walked over to the "gift". All the kids and parents followed him towards the back of the yard. He placed Suki down and walked over to the gift.

"Okay Suki, here it goes," said Naruto as he pulled the cover off. Everyone gasped and Suki squealed with delight when she saw his gift. Naruto had built Suki her very own mini dancing stage. It was actually nicely done. The stage was around five feet long and even had a curtain in the back.

All the parents stood dumbstruck that Naruto could actually build something like that. It was the perfect gift for a little ballerina.

"Is that thing stable?" asked Sasuke as he came and inspected it closer.

"Of course it is Teme. I told you I didn't build her a screaming metal death trap!" said Naruto. Suki ran and grabbed onto his leg and hugged it tight.

"Thank you uncle Naruto!" she shouted as Naruto grinned.

"Anything for you," he said as Suki let go and climbed onto the stage. Akira joined her too and Sakura came and began taking various pictures.

"Wow Naruto. This is impressive," said Sakura as she watched the girls play.

"Thanks Sakura. It's nice to know _somebody_ appreciates my work," said Naruto and he directed a look at Sasuke. Sakura chuckled as Sasuke just glared at Naruto. The rest of the party went by smoothly. Suki and the kids played with her new toys. She seemed to be particularly attached to her new doctor's kit.

By the time 6pm came rolling around, many of the guests had already gone home. All that were left at the Uchiha estate were Sakura and Sora and Ino and Shikamaru and the kids. Neji and Tenten went home because Tenten was tired out and Naruto and Hinata left with them.

"Well, that was a great party," said Ino as everyone lounged around in Sasuke's living room. "But we should really get going. The kids burned themselves out with all that sugar," she said while looking at the four sleeping children on the couch.

Ino and Shikamaru picked up Akio and Akira and headed towards the door. Ino turned around to hug Sakura and whispered into her ear as they walked out.

"I'll call you and get all the juicy details," she said as Sakura quirked an eyebrow. "You and Sasuke, who knew?"

"Nothing happened Ino," said Sakura.

"Or _did_ it?" said Ino with an inquisitive look. Sakura sighed. Ino was the gossip queen; always had been and probably always will be.

"Whatever Ino pig," said Sakura as she watched them walk to their car. She closed the door and went back into the living room where Sasuke was sitting across from the kids.

"I guess I should go too," she said as she walked towards Sora. The sound of her stomach growling made her stop and blush. Sasuke smirked at her embarrassed face as he got up and walked towards the kitchen.

"Or you could stay for dinner," he said as he went to the fridge.

"Oh no, that's ok Sasuke," she said while following him in. "I'll just cook something when I get home," she said.

"Or you can cook right here," he persisted while facing her. "You can use whatever you want in the kitchen," he added.

"That's really nice of you but really, you don't have to do this," she said. She had a weird feeling about staying at his house for dinner. Ever since that mix up with the date she had no idea where she stood with him. Especially since he said it wasn't a date, and then he almost kissed her. So what was she supposed to think now?

"Suki would like it if you stayed here," he said. Sakura looked back into the living room where the two kids were still sleeping and then turned back to Sasuke. "I can use the kid card too," he said while smirking. Sakura rolled her eyes and sighed.

"…One of these days I'll wipe that smirk off your face," she said as she shoved him away from the fridge. She foraged through his really big fridge and was fascinated at the contents of it. "You sure do keep your fridge well stocked," she said.

"That's my mother doing," he said. "I don't have time to shop for groceries. She takes care of it," he said as he went over to the cabinet. He pulled open the cupboards and pulled out a small CD player and pressed the play button. The soft music that came from the CD player made Sakura turn around to look at him with her eyebrows raised.

"It's a habit," said Sasuke. "My mother likes to listen to this instrumental music when she's cooking," he said.

"It's nice. She seems like a really loving mom," said Sakura as she recalled the sweet looking woman from before.

"You didn't meet her? She was here today," said Sasuke.

"I know, I was just too busy taking pictures to actually meet her," said Sakura as she brought out various vegetables and things from the fridge. "Is there anything Suki likes in particular?" she asked.

"Anything with tomatoes in it," Said Sasuke. "What do you plan on making anyway?" he asked.

"I guess roasted tomato and red pepper soup will do, right?" asked Sakura as she brought a pan hanging off the side of the wall down on the stovetop. "So what did you think about Naruto's gift?" she asked trying to make conversation.

"It's stable," said Sasuke as he looked out the window into the back yard. He could see the stage with a large tarp covering over it.

"Just give Naruto some credit," she said as she placed a few tomatoes into the searing hot pan. "What he did was really sweet and thoughtful," she said as she brought out a pot and dumped some chicken stock into it to boil.

"Hn," said Sasuke. He saw Sakura stiffen and glance in his direction before going back the tomatoes. "What…no punch?" he asked trying to egg her on. "We're alone now, so what's holding you back?" he asked with his signature smirk on.

She faced him with a straight face, although you could clearly see the restraint as well. "The kids might see it and then think its okay to be violent," she answered as she turned back to her work.

"They're asleep," he stated.

"They might wake up any second now," she said. "Actually, they should wake up by now. If they keep sleeping like this, then they'll never be able to get to bed later on,"

"Just let them sleep until the soups ready," said Sasuke. Sakura sighed and turned back to her work. She placed the now fully roasted tomatoes into the boiling pot and closed the lid. Then she brought out several vegetables and began chopping them into small pieces.

Sasuke watched her skillful hands cut the veggies. It really was a sight to see someone working in his kitchen besides his mother or himself. But watching Sakura work just seemed so natural. His eyes traveled up from her hands to her porcelain arms and shoulders; she removed the red jacket a while ago. His gaze then stopped at her face. A few strands of pink hair fell from behind her ear and in her face.

She brushed them out of the way and in doing so, caught Sasuke staring at her.

"Something wrong?" she asked as he straightened himself. He shook his head. "Well then, care to lend me a hand?" she asked as she brought out another knife from the counter top. Sasuke looked at her, surprised for a minute, before taking the knife. He went to stand next to her as she gave him a big red pepper to chop.

"You _are_ skilled with a knife aren't you?" she asked teasingly. He just narrowed his eyes at her as he took the pepper from her and began chopping with expert precision and ease. Sakura raised an eyebrow at his skill and was actually impressed.

They stayed silent for a few minutes before Sakura spoke. "So I've been meaning to ask you about something," she said while chopping. "I couldn't help but notice that you have a tattoo," she said.

Sasuke looked at her from the side of his eyes. "Something wrong with that?" he asked, not stopping his task.

"No, not at all," said Sakura. "Personally, I love tattoos. Well, at least the decent ones anyway. You just don't strike me as the type to get one that's all,"

"Is that so?" he asked. "Care to tell me what, "type" I fall into?" asked Sasuke.

"Well at first glance, you seem very… corporate," she said, stifling a laugh at his expression before continuing. "Your a successful businessman that follows the rules and focuses on getting the job done; basically a workaholic. Not really the kind of man you see in a tattoo parlor. But it doesn't really matter. The fact is, you got one and it's a very interesting design. What's the story behind that one?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said. "Just a mistake," he said vaguely. Sakura didn't feel like she should press the history behind it. He clearly didn't want to tell her.

"Oh," said Sakura. "Well, even if it was a mistake, it's still cool. Having a tattoo is a pretty big turn-on," she said. She stopped chopping when she realized what she just said. She could feel him smirking at her side.

"Does that mean you're turned on by my tattoo?" he asked. He smirked at how fidgety she became and she refused to make eye contact with him.

"No," she said while dumping both their veggies into the pot and closing the lid. "I meant that generally, tattoos are…very appealing," she said. That didn't sound right either. "Stop smirking," she said while shoving him a little.

"Hn," he said. "You don't strike me as the type to like tattoos,"

"Yeah well, I was married to an artist," she said. "Body art comes with the territory," she said while lifting the lid to stir the soup. "The soup should be ready soon," she said. Sakura went to clear the counter and put the remaining veggies back into the fridge. Sasuke went over to the coffee maker to pour them each a cup.

They stayed in a comfortable silent as they both took a seat at the counter, coffee in hand. Sakura thought back to their date. The confusion about where they stood with each other was getting to her. She glanced at him from the side of her eyes. He was so calm and composed all the time.

He's a successful CEO and a powerful businessman, not to mention her _boss. _He had a presence that demanded respect from his peers yet at the same time, radiated nothing but love and adoration for his daughter. He was obviously a family man, but you would never guess he was, on a first meeting.

"When we were in the park…" started Sakura. "We talked about helping each other out with the kids," she said as she looked down into her coffee. She knew he was looking at her, but she just couldn't look at him with what she was about to bring up. "But…what did that mean for us?" she asked.

Sasuke straightened himself in his seat and looked ahead. "Could you be more specific?" he asked.

"I mean, well…what I want to know is…well," she hesitated and took a deep breath before blurting it out. "Were you going to kiss me?" she asked hastily. She stopped staring at her coffee and slowly looked back at him. Sasuke could only look at her in surprise, although his face didn't show it.

He looked at her expectant face and could see the subtle shade of pink making its way onto her cheeks. It seemed too good to be true for her to forget that he was trying to make a move on her. He himself couldn't even believe that he almost did. But now she wanted him to, point blank, say it out loud. She was so annoying.

"Hn," he said. "Did you _want_ me to?" he asked, turning it around. He enjoyed seeing the pink blush turn into a red one as she gaped at him.

"Wha- just answer the question and if you say "Hn" again, I swear I'll punch you this time," she said. Sasuke kept staring and making her more uneasy by the second. She already felt like an idiot for asking him anyway.

The lid on the soup pot was boiling over with steam and Sakura used the opportunity to get up and turn the stove off. When she turned around, she found Sasuke standing behind her. His eyes were boring deep into hers as if they were trying to read her mind. Sakura crossed her arms over her chest in a subconscious effort to shield herself from his piercing gaze.

She felt exposed in front of him, and right now, that really wasn't helping her. "Well? Were you going to or not?" she asked. Sasuke moved forward and took slow steps towards her.

"…What would you do if I said I was?" he asked, as he got closer. Mentally, he was wondering why he was behaving the way he was. He's not one to flirt, but that's exactly what he was doing now. His body was acting on its own. "You didn't seem like you were going to push me away anytime soon," he said.

"I…um…" she stammered. Sakura shifted, as he got closer. She was backed up in the counter area and Sasuke was being very… flirtatious? How did that come on all of the sudden? "How would you know if I wasn't going to push you away? You're pretty arrogant in thinking that I wanted it to happen," she said. By this point he was no more than a foot away from her.

"Are you sure you weren't…turned on by my tattoo?" he asked. He saw her eyes briefly dart to the left corner of his neck where the tattoo was currently hidden in his sweater before coming back to his eyes. He looked at her lips and remembered the softness of them on his cheek the night before. He now found himself wondering how they would feel against his own.

All of the sudden, he found himself oddly attracted to the sight of her trapped in the corner of his kitchen with that mesmerized expression on her face. She was making him feel things that no other woman was ever able to make him feel…and it alarmed him somewhat. What was it about her that made him feel this way?

"Maybe I was," said Sakura as she stood as tall as she could, which was nothing compared to his height. "Do you think I wanted it to happen?" she asked.

"Hn," said Sasuke. He was able to catch her fist that was about to collide with his shoulder. He smirked down at her while keeping his hold on her tiny wrist, which felt as if he could snap it easily. "I think you did," he said calmly as he gently pulled her toward him. Sakura gasped as his other arm went to circle behind her waist, intimately holding them together.

"Sasuke…we…should… we should…" She said as she noticed that yet again, his face was descending down towards hers. She closed her eyes again and waited for it. She felt his forehead make contact with her own, their noses almost touching. They stayed like that for a few seconds. It wasn't a kiss, but he was holding her. He loosened his grip on her wrist and brought her arm to rest on his shoulder while his now free hand went to her back.

"We should what?" he asked. She was so rigid in his embrace. It was almost as if she was afraid of him. Sasuke on the other hand, was just getting used to the feel of her against him again, and this time, with no earthquake. She was so small. Her petite frame against his strong toned body made him feel as if he was holding onto glass.

Not really knowing what else to do, Sasuke just held onto her a little tighter. Sakura remained stiff in his hold.

"_He's…holding me."_ She thought. It's been so long since she's been held like this; she almost forgot the feeling. The only one to ever hold her this intimately was Sai. He made her feel so loved when he held her like this, and she missed the feeling. She missed having someone to hold on to. Keeping her eyes closed, Sakura began to relax in his hold and lean into him.

Sasuke felt slightly relieved when he felt her relax. She leaned her head against his chest and hesitantly brought her arms up to his shoulders. "So…you wouldn't have pushed me away," said Sasuke.

"What are we doing Sasuke?" whispered Sakura as she played with the cloth of his sweater again. "Where is this going?" she asked.

"You asked what it would mean for us," said Sasuke. "And that's something that I can't answer right now. But I'm not going to complicate it by trying to figure it out now" he said. "You're the only woman, besides my mother and our friends, that I would trust with Suki, even though you can get annoying," he said, which earned him a chuckle from her.

"And I know I can trust you with Sora," she said. "He's warming up to you, in his own way. He can really learn a lot from you. That is, if you actually talk to him" she said.

"Hn," he said as Sakura rolled her eyes. It was almost 7:00 PM and they should have been eating dinner. The kids should have woken up by now, but here they were in the kitchen, hugging. If anything, it should have been random and awkward but…this was nice.

They stayed in each other's arms and after a minute or two, began to sway to music that was still playing. Sakura couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"What?" asked Sasuke. He was a little too preoccupied with the smell of her hair to notice their movements.

"I didn't know this would be dinner and dancing," she said. "Is this a date?" she asked jokingly as she looked up at him. He just gave her his signature smirk. Her eyes caught his attention again, and he became locked into her gaze.

He never focused a woman's looks before, and looking at Sakura was like opening his eyes for the first time. Something about her was just so right. She was like the missing puzzle piece that looked so different from the rest of the picture; yet somehow, it fits right in. They remained locked onto each other's gaze. Sakura could see herself in the depths of his dark orbs. They once again became lost in their own little world and only snapped out of it when they heard an innocent little voice.

"Daddy," came a little voice from the doorway. Sasuke and Sakura quickly broke apart and looked over at Suki, who was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "I'm hungry," she said as Sasuke approached her. Sakura smiled and tried to recover from the emotional vacation she was just pulled out from.

"I'll see if Sora's awake," said Sakura as she went into the living room. She returned minutes later with a very worn out Sora holding her hand. "Let's eat shall we?" she said as she walked over to the kitchen table. "I made tomato soup,"

Suki smiled at her as she took her seat at the table. "Daddy, I want to change," said Suki as she tugged on her now wrinkled dress. Sakura brought the bowls of soup over to the table and placed them in front of everyone.

"Let's go then," said Sakura as she held her hand out. Suki smiled and grabbed her hand and almost dragged Sakura out of the kitchen. Sakura looked back at Sasuke and caught his eye. She noticed the small smile tug at the corner of his lips.

Once they were gone, Sasuke looked at Sora, who was sitting on his left side at the small square table. Sora was swinging his legs back and forth underneath the table and stirring his soup. Sakura was helping Suki now, so he should get started on helping Sora.

"I hear you have a karate match coming up soon," said Sasuke as he stirred his own soup. Sora continued stirring but he looked up at Sasuke anyway.

"Yeah," said Sora.

"Are you nervous?" asked Sasuke as he took a sip of his soup. He was briefly distracted at how good it tasted. Of all the things to do to a tomato, this was something he had been seriously missing out on.

"I'm not nervous," said Sora as he straightened up in his seat. "I can break a board with my fist," said Sora.

"That's good," said Sasuke. "Next, you'll learn how to break it with your foot," he said. "I used to take Karate too,"

"Reeeeallly?" asked Sora as he looked at Sasuke. "Then do you have a belt too?" he asked.

"Yeah…a Black one," said Sasuke. He smirked when Sora gapped at him.

"Coooool," said Sora. "Lee sensei said I can get a black one too, but he said I have to work hard and be youthful,"

"He's right…about working hard," said Sasuke. "Karate is hard work and it takes lots of practice to become good. If you want, I could help you train. Man to man"

Sora looked thoughtful for a minute before he looked at Sasuke in an analytical way. "Can _you_ break a board with your foot?" asked Sora curiously.

"I can break more than one with my foot," said Sasuke. He enjoyed seeing Sora's amazed expression. He was clearly scoring points with him. "So what do you say?" asked Sasuke.

"Okay," said Sora excitedly. "Let's train," he said while bending his neck back to look up at him. He was so short, and Sasuke was so tall.

"Well you have to tell your mom first," said Sasuke. "In the meantime, eat your soup," he said. Sora consented and began eating the soup. He had some difficulty seeing as how he was so short. The table came up to his chest, and he would surely spill on himself. Suki had a booster seat for herself, but Sora would need something to access that table better.

Sasuke got up from the table and went over to the counter again. He took out a couple of large phonebooks and brought them back to the table. "Get up for a minute Sora," said Sasuke. Sora put his spoon down and slid off the table. Sasuke placed both phonebooks on the seat and then lifted Sora back on top, elevating him to a proper height at the table.

"You can tell your mom you grew up a little," said Sasuke as he took his seat at the table. Sora laughed and began eating his soup again.

"We're back," Sakura said from the doorway. Suki was holding her hand and playing with her hair, which Sakura saw fit to put into a short braid. Suki was now wearing a light green full hands cotton pajama top and darker green pajama bottoms.

"Daddy, look at my hair," said Suki as Sakura lifted her into her booster seat. It was obvious that that was Suki's spot.

"It's nice Tenshi," said Sasuke as he glanced at Sakura, who took her seat across from him. She looked over at Sora and smiled.

"Have you gotten taller sweetie?" she asked. Sora nodded his head while slurping his soup. Sakura leaned over a bit and saw the phonebooks he was sitting on and laughed. Sasuke noted that her laughter had a comforting ring to it. She began eating her soup and as the night progressed, they four of them gradually talked about small things, mostly about the kids. Sora told Sakura about wanting to train with Sasuke, and Suki wanted Sakura to show her how to play doctor with her new doctor's kit.

Sakura and Sasuke constantly caught each other's gaze during the entire evening. They were both happy that their children were now getting the extra attention that they deserved from their missing parental figures. Seeing their smiling faces was all they needed to keep going and continue helping each other out. It was a promise between two friends, and it was inevitable that the two families would eventually grow attached to each other.

Even though Sasuke and Sakura were still uncertain about their own relationship, their children came first. What started as a work relationship, soon turned into a friendship of convenience, and now there may be something more to it.

_But for now, it was all for the kids…_

Onyx orbs locked onto emerald green counterparts across the kitchen table with this silent understanding. A smirk forms on one face, a shy smile from the other.

…_Or is it?_

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**New characters and a thicker plot in the next two chapters. Looking forward to your brutally honest reviews. **


	15. Coming Together

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 15: Coming Together**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Itachi's POV: Saturday October 11th 6:00 PM**

Itachi walked out of the cemetery and made his way over towards his motorcycle. Today was Suki's birthday, but it was also Aya's death anniversary. Itachi was never close to Aya; they barely said more than a few words of greeting to each other during her short marriage to Sasuke. But she gave birth to his precious niece Suki, and for that he made it a point to visit his deceased sister-in-law on the actual anniversary of her death.

Itachi felt it was the least he could do, seeing as how both Aya's parents were now dead. She had no one to visit her on the real day of her death besides the Uchiha family. Itachi knew that his parents had visited earlier in the day. Sasuke and Suki on the other hand, would always come the day after the actual date. This was because Sasuke wanted Suki's birthday to be centered only on Suki. He didn't want to bring in the pain of her mother's death on a day as precious as this. But he and Suki would surely visit her tomorrow. Aya was still Suki's mother; Sasuke didn't want Suki to forget that.

Itachi's long black leather jacket swung freely behind him as he sped through the city on his bike. He had left the Akatsuki base approximately two hours ago, then made the stop at the cemetery, and was now making his way over to Sasuke's house to see his niece. He had completely missed her birthday party due to an investigation he was currently working on plus a few more cases the Akatsuki had to deal with. He figured he could still drop by the house and at least give Suki her birthday present. Her bedtime wasn't for another hour and a half.

It was almost 7:00 PM when Itachi finally reached Sasuke's house. He parked in the front driveway and grabbed his neatly wrapped gift off his bike and walked to the back yard, as he usually does. As he rounded the corner, he saw that the lights were on in the kitchen. As he got closer, he came to a halt when he saw the scene before him through the kitchen window. Sasuke and Sora were sitting at the kitchen table together.

Itachi stepped to the side and watched the scene from a distance. "_Sakura must be here as well,"_ he thought. When he met Sakura at the Okonomiyaki place a while back, he never imagined running into the daughter of Hatake Kakashi until he received the message from headquarters. Kakashi himself spoke with Itachi, via video message, and requested that he take charge in protecting her.

Itachi watched as Sasuke and Sora talked for a bit. Sora was obviously amazed at something that Sasuke said due to his face expression. Sasuke got up and put some phonebooks on Sora's seat to elevate him. Itachi smirked; the kid was so short you could barely see his body over the table top. Sora laughed at something again and began to eat his food. Apparently, Sora was warming up to Sasuke. But where were Sakura and Suki?

As if on cue, Suki came into the kitchen wearing her little green pajamas. She was holding Sakura's hand and smiling like there was no tomorrow. Sakura placed Suki into her booster seat and took her own seat next to her.

Watching the four of them was like watching the puzzle pieces come together. Suki's smiling face was the best picture Itachi could have hoped to see. He loved that little girl more than anyone else in his family. His life was in the CIA, and Suki was the only aspect of his life that gave Itachi a sense of normalcy. She was the purity in his tainted life, and seeing her happy face was enough for Itachi to get a good night's sleep.

After watching them for another minute or two, Itachi walked back to his bike and drove back to headquarters. Watching the four of them only made him more eager to get back to his investigative project, which was centered on a certain pink haired doctor's past.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: Sunday morning October 12**

Sasuke and Suki stood before Aya's grave. There were flowers already placed on the headstone before they arrived. Sasuke knew they were from Itachi. He was the only one to visit Aya on October 11th; just one more thing to add to his strange personality.

Suki let go of Sasuke's hand and placed a single white rose onto the grave. She was wearing a black velvet dress and matching shoes. She then stood next to her father again and watched the grave stone. This was all Suki had to refer to as her mother. She looked up at her father, who was looking at the stone with dull eyes. He always recalled Aya's last words to him before she died:

_"Take care of her…Sasuke…tell her…Mommy will always love her…"_

Sasuke looked down at his daughter. He knelt down to her level and held her little hands with his own.

"Your mommy, wanted me to tell you something before she died," said Sasuke as he took a glance at the grave. "She wanted me to tell you, that she would always love you Suki," said Sasuke as he looked into her precious green eyes. "You were her beloved daughter. That's why she wanted to name you Suki, because it means beloved,"

Suki nodded her head and looked at her mother's grave. "I love my Mommy too," she said in her happy little voice. Sasuke sighed. There she was, putting on her brave face. Sasuke mentally cursed the cruelty of life. It's just wrong for an angel like Suki to go through her first five years of life without her mother.

Sasuke stood up with Suki in his arms. He kissed her forehead and turned to face Aya's grave once more. He'll always remember Aya as the mother of his child. She gave him Suki, and he'll see to it that she's never forgotten in his daughter's life.

"Say goodbye to Mommy," said Sasuke. Suki waved her little hand at the grave with a smile on her face.

"Bye Mommy," said Suki. Sasuke began walking back to the entrance. As they made their way back, they failed to notice a pair of dark eyes that had been watching them for a while.

A figured emerged from the back of a large tree that was keeping him from view. Once he saw that the two people were out of sight, he turned and faced the grave they visited. Pain and rage seared through his veins as he read the etchings of the grave.

**Aya Jin Uchiha**

**Beloved Daughter, Wife, Mother and Friend**

The figure remained standing before her grave. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to be alive. She wasn't supposed to die so damn young. But he knew that she was dead long before this. He turned and faced the direction where the two Uchihas' had left. His eyes narrowed at the thought of that bastard. He was the reason why Aya was dead…and he'll pay for that dearly.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: KMC**

It was Monday morning and Sakura was currently in the nurse's station on the second floor of the hospital. Hinata was there and together, they have been discussing the patients that they both had to attend to today. Sakura was a little tired, seeing as how Neji and Tenten came over to her house on Sunday for dinner. Sakura tired herself out with cooking dinner and staying up late cleaning the dishes afterwards.

"Let's schedule the patient in room 812 for physical therapy as soon as possible, preferably tomorrow," said Sakura as she examined the patient's chart.

"I'll send the order to Naruto," said Hinata. The two continued to go over other patients for a few more minutes before Sakura's pager went off. She checked the screen and saw that the NICU called her.

"I'll see you later Hinata," said Sakura. She left the nurses' station and made her way to the elevator. She pushed the up button and waited for any of the eight elevator shoots to open. As she waited, she checked her phone for any messages. The elevator gave the "ding" and the doors opened. She stepped in and went up to the 7th floor.

When she got to the NICU, she punched in the code on the side of the door, and they slid open to allow her entrance. The NICU was a completely different area of the hospital. Rather than hospital beds and the average get up, it was a moderately dark place with very subtle lighting. There were around thirty little cribs and incubators and about half of them contained a neonate (newborn) that was in critical condition. Overall, the place was very quiet with all the nurses and personnel talking in hushed tones as not to disturb the babies.

Sakura walked in and saw Neji in there. He was standing by a crib with a clipboard in his hands and busy writing something down. Sakura walked over to him.

"Hey Neji, what's going on here?" she asked as she checked the baby's stats. The baby boy was hooked up to a heart monitor and several other machines. Neji looked up from his charts and greeted her.

"Sakura," he said. "I saw that you were the attending physician for this baby so I paged you," he said. "I've done a preliminary report and I need your input on a possible surgery,"

"Hmm," she said as she looked over the incubator. "He's still not strong enough to be placed under any anesthesia," she said as she reached into the armhole for the incubator to hold the tiny babies hand. "But I would give him another week. By then, if his condition has improved, I can clear him for surgery," she said as she watched the baby. This child was oxygen deprived at birth. Neji was needed for brain damage consultation since it was his area of expertise.

"Alright," said Neji. He looked down at the baby, whose tiny hand was clasped around Sakura's finger. It was a depressing sight to see a child hooked up to so many machines. Neji's worst fear was for something like that to happen to his own unborn child, let alone Tenten.

"He'll make it through Neji, don't worry," said Sakura as she observed him. "I take care of all these babies as if they were my own," She said. Neji kept staring at the child. If it weren't for those machines, that baby would be dead.

"Speaking of babies," said Sakura. "How's Tenten holding up? I hope the dinner I made her last night didn't give her any morning sickness," Neji looked away from the baby and met her gaze.

"She's adjusting," he said with a small smile. "Those vitamins you gave her really helped, although, doing nothing is starting to get to her. You know how she is," he said. Sakura smiled.

"Yeah," said Sakura. "So how are _you_ feeling?" she asked. "I know it's not easy taking care of a pregnant woman. Have the cravings gotten to you yet?"

"Let's just say I won't be going anywhere near ketchup…or tuna anytime soon," he said while Sakura chuckled.

"Did you and Tenten discuss any possible names yet?" she asked. Neji shrugged.

"We wanted to wait until we knew the gender first," said Neji. "Choosing a name is hard enough as it is. It's better to know what kind of name to choose first,"

Sakura internally snickered. "_If only he knew_," she thought. Sakura thought it was hilarious that Tenten was so dead set on keeping him in the dark. It would become pretty obvious soon enough so Tenten had better tell him before he figures it out. Tenten was never really good at keeping secrets either. One way or another, she would slip up.

Sakura and Neji talked for a bit about more baby stuff before Neji mentioned the memo that was sent out this morning. Apparently, there was a mandatory physicians meeting regarding the Kyoto Conference in December. Keeping that in mind, Sakura left the NICU to finish off her rounds before the meeting started.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: KMC Meeting Hall**

Sasuke had his secretary send out a memo to all of the leading physicians in every department. There was a meeting being held today to discuss the upcoming Kyoto Conference, which required that all the head physicians be present at the event. It was now 11:00 AM and the meeting hall, which was located on the 15th floor next to Sasuke's office, was filling up with doctors. Lunch would be included later on in the meeting.

Sasuke was sitting at the head of the long rectangular table that was big enough to seat twenty. Tenten and Neji were there, representing the Cardiology and Neurology departments. They sat on Sasuke's right side.

"So Sasuke," said Tenten. "I hear you're going to be helping Sora with his Karate," she said while leaning back in her chair. She couldn't exactly bend forward anymore due to her growing abdomen. She even had to get a larger sized scrub shirt to accommodate her size.

"Hn," said Sasuke. "Did Sakura tell you about it?" he asked. He noticed Neji's scrutinizing gaze on him but dismissed it.

"Well, not really," said Tenten. "Sora told me when Neji and I went to Sakura's house for dinner last night. He seemed really excited about it," she said.

"Hn," said Neji. "Since when did you become a trainer?"

"Since now," he answered, opening his folder and pulling out a few papers. More doctors came in and took their seats. Shikamaru was also present, seeing as how he was representing the research facility. He was sitting on Sasuke's right side. Almost all the head physicians were present, except for Sakura. Sasuke subtly scanned the surrounding area (the walls were made of glass). The meeting was about to start, so where was she?

"Looking for someone?" asked Neji. Sasuke blinked before shifting his gaze to Neji, who was giving him that inquiring look of his. Sasuke would have retorted had he not spotted the object of his interest approaching the meeting hall. Neji noticed his attention and turned his head to see Sakura walking towards them. She opened the glass door and greeted everyone.

"Hi guys," said Sakura as she took her seat next to Shikamaru. "Looks like I made it just in time. I just got out of the delivery room. It was _twins_," she said as she looked pointedly across the table at Tenten, who snapped her neck towards Sakura with slightly wide eyes. Tenten was emitting a warning glare, while Sakura was just looking charmingly innocent.

"Awww, that's nice," said Tenten in a restrained voice. Sakura chuckled a bit before her gaze turned to Sasuke, who was watching her discreetly. She smiled and he smirked.

"Well," said Sasuke while reluctantly tearing his gaze off her and turning towards everyone else. "We can begin the meeting," he announced with a raised voice. Everyone in the room quieted down and turned their attention towards him. The room was filled with physicians, who were all wearing their white coats. Sasuke was the only one wearing a black suit, which added to his superiority.

He began the meeting with the standard introductory outline of the program and what was expected from KMC. He also mentioned that many world renowned doctors and medical contributors from various parts of the country would also be present. These doctors included the legendary medicinal expert Dr. Tsunade, as well as Research Engineer/Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Jiraya, and other members from competing hospitals such Sunagakure Hospital and its associates.

Shikamaru presented a power-point presentation of the major subjects that would be brought up at the conference as well as an outline of what each department must present.

"Millions of dollars' worth of medical research, educational and experimental studies are depending on this conference," said Shikamaru. "We have a little less than nine weeks for you to prepare your projects. Well meet up again before we leave," he closed. Sasuke had the lights turned back on.

"Now," said Sasuke. "As far as the trip goes, seeing as how we leave during the holiday season, you will each be allowed to bring a few guests with you, as compliments of the hotel where the conference will be held. We'll be staying in Kyoto for a maximum of three days from December 21st to the 23rd," said Sasuke. He saw the lunch cart being pushed towards the conference room and dismissed the meeting for an hour break. Many of the doctors got up and walked towards the cart, leaving a few behind at the desk.

"So Shikamaru," said Sakura. "Are you bringing Ino and the kids with you to Kyoto?" she asked. Shikamaru sighed.

"Yeah," he said. "I'll never hear the end of it if I don't bring that troublesome woman along. Besides, her family lives near Kyoto," He said as he leaned back in his chair. "They run a flower shop there,"

"I know," said Sakura. "I remember her flower shop. I used to go there with her after school when we were in grade school," said Sakura. "I'm glad the kids are coming too. Sora's going to need some company,"

"Are you going to see your father?" asked Tenten.

"Of course I am," said Sakura with a warm smile. "It's only been a couple of months since I moved away, but I miss my dad and I know Sora would love to see his grandfather again,"

"I'll bet," said Tenten. "What little boy wouldn't love to play with all those dogs?" said Tenten as Sakura chuckled. "Okay, I'm not waiting for the food any longer," said Tenten as she made a move to stand up. Neji had to assist her somewhat as the two left the table towards the food cart.

Shikamaru's cell phone went off and he picked it up when he saw that the call was from Ino. He excused himself from the table leaving Sasuke and Sakura alone.

"So," said Sakura while resting her cheek on her palm. "Planning on skipping lunch again?" she asked. Sasuke just tilted his head to the side a bit and sighed.

"I consider it pointless to skip lunch when you're here to pester me into it," said Sasuke. "Just another one of your many annoying attributes,"

"True," said Sakura proudly. "So if you're not busy today, would you and Suki like to come over for dinner?" she asked. "The pictures from the party have been developed so you could take the copies I made," she added. Sasuke leaned back in his chair and smirked.

"Will we be making soup again?" he asked. His smirk grew wider when he saw her begin to blush at the mention of soup. They were so close that time. One more incident like that one, and who knows what'll happened. Sasuke really had to control himself, but that was something he found hard to do when he was around her.

"Not this time," said Sakura while straightening in her seat. "I'm thinking, curry and rice. I was hoping you would be able to help Sora with his Karate. His match is this Wednesday at 2:30 and he's been begging me to ask you to come over," She said. "I'd say he's definitely warmed up to you,"

"Hn," said Sasuke. Sakura's smile dropped and was replaced with a glare. Sasuke smirked again when he saw this. She couldn't do anything when they were in public. "When would you like us to come?" he asked.

"How about right after work? Sora and Suki should be done with karate and ballet, so you should just come over after you pick her up. She can help me make dinner. It's never too late to learn how to cook," she said. Sasuke's smirk turned into a very small smile.

"…She'd like that," said Sasuke in a warm, sensitive voice. He could only imagine Suki's sweet smiling face while helping Sakura in the kitchen.

Sakura noticed the softness in his voice. It was a complete contrast from his strong outward personality. Those dark, steely eyes of his were clouded with love and affection for his little princess. This was a side of Sasuke Uchiha that not many people were lucky enough to see. The sensitivity only added to his attractiveness in Sakura's opinion.

She took a moment to admire his face. Those mesmerizing onyx eyes of his were brought out by the pale contour of the skin that surrounded them. His chicken style raven hair suited and framed his face perfectly. Sakura's eyes traveled down to his chest area. She remembered how it felt to be held so closely to him the other night. His embrace was strong and warm. She could feel his muscular build underneath his sweater. She felt so safe with his arms wrapped around her; it was a feeling that she missed greatly.

"Tell Sora to be ready for training as soon as he gets home," he said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I'll bring over some equipment,"

"Okay," said Sakura as her eyes traveled back up to his face. "But if I find a single cut or bruise on his little body, I'm taking that out on _you_…and you know what I'm talking about" said Sakura while pointing at him. "Now…" she began as she stood up from her seat. "Let's get some food before Tenten eats it all" she said as she walked towards the food cart. As she passed him, she flicked the side of his head with her finger.

Sasuke glared at her while she simply snickered. "That was for earlier," she justified while speeding up her pace towards the cart. Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her. She could be so juvenile at times.

"_Che…annoying woman," _thought Sasuke as he got up and followed her towards the cart. His mind wandered back to his personal proclamation to begin dating again. He had to step up his game. Now that he and Suki would be spending more time with Sakura and Sora, he had to find an answer for Sakura's question the other night.

What were they doing and where was it going? That was he needed to establish with her. In order for them to go anywhere, he had to make his intentions with Sakura clear to her.

He took a glance at her from the side of his eyes. This was the woman that life seemed to throw at him. It was as if she was the answer that was right in front of his face, yet at the same time, he was still hesitant about choosing it. Yes, she's beautiful and smart and loving. She was also nosy, demanding, annoying and slightly violent; but that did nothing more than increase his attraction to her.

But she had to make her intentions clear as well. Was there potential for them? Or were they just using each other? He had to get that straight, and he wasn't going to waste any time in doing so. His daughter's happiness was on the line.

* * *

**Sakura's House: 5pm**

**Sakura's POV: **

Sakura and Sora had just gotten home and were currently in the kitchen. Sora remained in his karate uniform because Sasuke would be coming over to train with him any minute now. He sat at the counter on the stool with his sketchpad out. He was drawing what appeared to be a large white dog; probably Kiba's dog from the party.

"Are you excited about your training today?" asked Sakura as she brought out some dishes from the cabinets.

"Uh huh," said Sora as he continued drawing. "I'm going to break a board with my foot," he declared while swinging his legs back and forth. Sakura chuckled and went over to the fridge. She pulled out a juice box and gave it to Sora as she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Just don't break any fingers or toes," she said. "You've been doing so well by not getting any boo boo's lately," she said. She heard the doorbell ring and left the kitchen to answer it.

When she opened the door, her eyes widened a bit at the sight before her. Sasuke was standing there dressed in a white karate uniform, with Suki in his arms. She looked over his appearance for a second before looking back at his face. He looked…really…attractive. Oh who was she kidding; he was drop dead sexy. Not only that, she could see his tattoo at the base of his neck.

The front of his robes were a little lose and revealing a bit of his chiseled chest. The bright white of his clothes seemed even brighter against the darkness of his hair and eyes.

"Hi Aunty Sakura," said Suki. Sakura snapped out of her shameless ogling and gave a bright smile to Suki, but not before she caught Sasuke smirking at her.

"Hi sweetie," said Sakura as Sasuke placed Suki down. Sakura held out her hand for her, which Suki gladly took and led them into the house. "Ready to learn how to cook?" she asked. Suki nodded her head enthusiastically. Sakura led them both into the kitchen where Sora was.

Sora looked up at the three of them and stopped his drawing. He saw that Sasuke was wearing a karate uniform too, only he was wearing a really cool looking black belt.

"Ready for training?" asked Sasuke. Sora slid off the stool and nodded. He kept glancing at Sasuke's black belt. He looked down at his own white one and decided that he was going to train as hard as he could to get a new colored belt. "Good. We'll train outside" he said as he made his way over to the back yard.

"Okay," said Sora as he followed Sasuke out. Sakura smiled at him running out of the kitchen. Once they were gone, she turned to Suki, who was still holding her hand.

"Now," said Sakura. "Let's get cooking," She said as she and Suki went into the kitchen, where Sakura had all the materials they needed out and ready.

* * *

**Meanwhile…at the Uzumaki house: **

Naruto sighed as he stepped into his house. Hinata was still at work and wouldn't be home until late again. This past weekend had been a busy one for both Hinata and himself. They both had to work overtime to make up for going to Suki's birthday party, so he hadn't really seen much of her. They were both so pre-occupied, that they didn't even remember to celebrate his own birthday a couple of days ago (October10th, right before Suki).

After slipping out of his shoes, Naruto decided to stay in his clothes and walk over to the kitchen to get a cup of ramen and a drink. He searched through the cabinets, and was shocked to discover that wasn't any ramen in sight. Panicking, he searched around the kitchen when his eyes noticed a small note on the counter. Scratching the back of his head, he walked over and picked up the card, which was coated in a light perfume smell. The card read:

_**Meet me upstairs…Love Hinata**_

So she was home? Why'd she leave a card to tell him to go upstairs? And why'd she spray perfume on it? And where the hell was all his Ramen? The Uzumaki household was always fully stocked with Ramen! Maybe Hinata knew what happened to it. Naruto ran upstairs with the note in his hand. When he burst into their room, his eyes widened.

There, sitting on their bed, was Hinata. The room was only light with a few candles, giving it a romantic glow. Hinata was dressed in a black silk robe with her moderately long hair down. But the other thing about her was that…she was holding a bowl of steaming hot ramen in her hands, and judging by the smell, it was definitely pork ramen…his absolute favorite. She smiled at him as she got up from their bed and walked over to him, ramen in hand. Even in the dim lighting, Naruto could see that she was blushing. At work, she was strong and in control. But at home, she was his sweet, shy, lovable Hinata.

"…Hey…Hinata…what's all this?" asked Naruto slowly as he watched her come to him. His brilliant blue eyes darted back and forth between his beautiful wife and the mouth-watering ramen in her hands. He watched as she dipped the chop sticks in the soup and twisted them around the noodles. Then she slowly brought them up to his lips.

"Happy late birthday Naruto," said Hinata with a small, loving smile.

He took the noodles in his mouth, but he kept his gaze on her. He briefly wondered if she had any idea of how much she was turning him on.

He slurped the noodles clean off the chop sticks and swallowed them. He savored the taste of it for a second before he took the bowl from her hands and placed on the dresser. Hinata was confused by this action because normally, Naruto would never put down a bowl of ramen. But then it made sense when he grabbed her and pulled her into a passionate kiss; he wanted _her_ instead.

She was so immersed into his kiss that she didn't even realize when he managed to slip her robe off, leaving her in her lacey lavender night gown, or when he managed to steer them towards their bed. Hinata began tugging at his shirt and in a split second, it was removed and flung across the room.

They fell onto their bed with their arms around each other, legs intertwined, and lips locked together. Tonight was all about making Naruto know how much she loved him. He'll get the ramen back eventually.

* * *

**Sakura's House: **

Sakura was in the kitchen with Suki. They were currently working on cutting up some veggies for the curry that was simmering on the stove. Out in the back yard, Sasuke and Sora were busy training.

"Okay," said Sasuke. "Strike the mat as many times as you can," he said while holding up a rubber mat. Sora came charging at Sasuke with a determined face. He began striking the mat the way Sasuke showed him to. They had been training for about an hour and a half already. Sasuke had Sora training mostly on his arms, declaring that that was what he would need at his match.

A few minutes later, Sasuke could smell the aroma of tonight's dinner wafting through the air. "Time to stop for today," he announced glancing at the window. He could see Suki sitting on the counter and stirring something on the stove, while Sakura watched.

"But I want to keep training," whined Sora. "I can still hit more," he said. Sasuke smirked at him. The kid was dedicated, that's for sure. But the sun was setting fast, and Sasuke could tell that Sora was tired.

"Part of your training is knowing when to rest," said Sasuke. "If you want more energy, you have to eat good food to grow stronger…and taller," he said as he placed his hand on top of Sora's head. Sora pouted and looked up at Sasuke.

"I'm gonna be taller than you," said Sora while pointing at Sasuke. "So I have to eat more and train more right?" he asked while craning his head up to see Sasuke.

"Right," said Sasuke. "But I don't think you can eat all your vegetables," said Sasuke while crossing his arms. "Only the strong men can eat all their vegetables. The strongest men eat lots of tomatoes. That's what gives them energy," he said. He smirked when Sora nodded his head in understanding.

"If I eat tomatoes, then I can be tall like you?" asked Sora.

"Exactly," said Sasuke. "But for now…" Sasuke lifted Sora into the air and placed him on top of his shoulders. "…Let's go eat dinner" he said as Sora's laughter rang through the air. Sasuke held onto Sora's feet and began walking back into the house while Sora sat on his shoulders, admiring the view from more than six feet up.

Before they made it back to the house, Sakura came outside and stopped when she saw them. Sora was laughing and sitting on Sasuke's shoulders. It was only until now that Sakura could see just how similar they were to each other. They both had similar hair styles, same eyes, same facial features and the same skin tone. The matching outfits only added to the effect.

But as they turned towards her, the sun's orangey rays outlined their figures, making Sakura's heart freeze when didn't see Sasuke walking towards her with Sora anymore.

She saw Sai…holding their son. He was looking up at Sora and the two of them were smiling. Sakura longed to reach out to him, to feel him again. But as they got within three feet of her, Sai's face changed back into Sasuke's, and she felt as though she had just woken up from a dream. She blinked twice before looking up at Sora, who was holding onto Sasuke's head.

"_Sai…"_ she thought. Sora was Sai's child; he's Sai's copy in every way. But Sasuke…he's just… so much like him. Sakura wanted to blame the trick of the lights for her second vision of Sai…but she couldn't. You could easily mistake Sasuke as Sora's father.

Sasuke noticed that she looked a little startled when she saw him, but didn't think much of it.

"Hey," said Sakura in a pouty voice. "I didn't want you to grow up _this _fast," she said to Sora, who giggled.

"Mommy, I'm taller than you," said Sora. Sakura playfully pouted, but then smiled when she saw his happy face. Sora had a handsome little smile; something he inherited from both Sai and Sakura. "I want to eat some tomatoes," said Sora. Sakura raised her eyebrow and gave Sasuke a knowing look.

Sasuke just smirked at her and placed Sora back on the ground. Sora tugged on Sakura's pants and asked for tomatoes again.

"Okay," said Sakura as she ran her fingers through is shiny black hair. "I'll cut up some tomatoes. But you still have to eat your regular dinner," She said as the three of them walked into the house. Suki was already sitting at the table.

"Daddy, I helped set the table," she said as Sasuke and Sora approached her. Sasuke noticed that she was sitting on a pillow from the living room couch, to make up for her lack of a booster seat. Sasuke took a seat in front of her and gave her a small smile while Sora sat next to Sasuke on his own elevated chair.

"That's good Tenshi," he said. "Did you help make dinner too?" he asked. Suki nodded her head and smiled at Sakura, who had just placed the rice and curry onto the table. She also placed a plate of tomatoes, which were cut in quarters, in the center of the table.

"Okay all you tomato lovers," said Sakura as she took her seat next to Suki. "Eat up," she said. Both Sora and Suki dove straight for the tomatoes. They both giggled picked up a piece and began to chew on it. Sakura could only smile at the two of them. They were both too cute for their own good.

Sasuke, Sora, and Suki consumed the entire plate of tomatoes before they moved onto their actual meals. Sakura herself didn't mind tomatoes so much, but she didn't think they were _that_ great. "_At least it's healthy,"_ she thought. She knew Sora's sudden interest in tomatoes was Sasuke's doing. She looked over at him and found that he had been watching her, again.

"So," said Sakura while looking down at her rice. "How's the training going?" she asked as she took a bite of her rice. She was trying to get her earlier day dream out of her head. She didn't like that she saw Sai through Sasuke. It just wasn't right. It just made looking at him feel awkward again.

"He's doing fine," said Sasuke as he looked down at Sora. Sora grinned and looked at Sakura.

"Sasuke said that I have to eat vegetables to get tall," said Sora. "He said that I can do it if I eat tomatoes," he said while spooning some of his curry into his mouth.

"I can _grow_ _taller_," said Sakura as she corrected him. She faced Sasuke while nodding her head a little. "Impressive method of getting him to eat vegetables, Sasuke," she said. "This little girl here…" she said as she looked at Suki. "...Is going to be a good cook someday," she said as she smiled at Suki. Suki smiled back at her.

They ate their meal with small conversations going back and forth the entire time. Being together just seemed so natural with them. Sasuke kept his eye on Sakura most of the time. She was always smiling at the kids and radiating warmth towards them. Not only that, but she seemed to be paying more attention to him as well. He didn't miss the way she briefly eyed him up and down when he arrived here.

She probably didn't even notice that she was slightly blushing as well. Either way, Sasuke still had to talk to her about this…thing…that they had.

After they were done with dinner, Sakura shooed the kids into the living room to watch some Sora's favorite ninja anime on TV.

* * *

**In the living room:**

Sora and Suki took a seat on the couch in the living room. Sora turned the TV on with the remote and flipped through the channels to his favorite anime station. His ninja cartoon was on.

"I can fight like those guys," said Sora as they watched the anime characters in a battle.

"Really?" asked Suki.

"Uh huh," said Sora. "Your dad showed me how," said Sora. "He said he's going to teach me how to kick next time," said Sora.

"I wanna fight too," said Suki. "Can you teach me how to fight Oniichan?" Sora snickered.

"Girls can't fight," said Sora.

"How come?" asked Suki.

"Because your girls," said Sora. "You're supposed to watch the guys fight," Suki pouted.

"Pleeeeeeease Oniichan?" she asked while pouting. She used her secret weapon, the big green eyes. However Sora wouldn't budge. This was a first. No one can resist. "You're a meanie" said Suki. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. She wasn't used to the rejection.

Sora sighed before caving to her whims. "Fine…let's practice," he said while getting up from the couch. He didn't like to see Suki sad. Suki smiled and got off the couch too. Sora showed her how to stand properly. He then began to show her all the moves that Sasuke showed him today.

Suki copied everything Sora did. The anime was still playing on the TV, and the two kids watched the show and pretended to be a part of the battle on TV.

Suki was having a good time. Being an only child meant that she didn't have anyone to play with at home. Sure her daddy would play with her sometimes, but that wasn't very often and all they would play is tea party and dancing. But being with Sora was like having a brother around. Now she knew how Akira felt. Now she could say that she had a brother of her own.

**Back in the kitchen…**

Sakura had just placed the last dish into the dishwasher and closed it. She turned around and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Sasuke standing right behind her.

"Jeez," said Sakura while holding her hand over her heart. "Do you like giving me heart attacks?" she said as she side-stepped him to get to the coffee maker. Sasuke smirked and leaned against the counter. He watched her spoon some coffee power into the machine and turn it on.

"So when is Sora's Karate match again?" asked Sasuke.

"Wednesday at 2:30," said Sakura. "But I honestly don't know if I can make it," she admitted. "I have a lot of patients to see that day, and I don't think I can take off early or anything. But Naruto volunteered to go see him in my place," said Sakura.

"When did you ask the Dobe?" asked Sasuke.

"I asked _Naruto_ right after the meeting," said Sakura. "I really don't get why you call him _Dobe_. He's your best friend isn't he?" she asked.

"Have you _heard_ some of the things he says?" said Sasuke. Sakura chuckled and went over to the coffee maker. She took the full pot off and poured the coffee into two cups. "I could go to Sora's match," he said suddenly. Sakura placed the pot back in its place and turned to him with a surprised expression.

"Really?" she asked. "That would be nice…although I'm surprised you'd want to go. Any reason in particular?" she asked.

"I just want to see if my training helped," he answered. Sakura smiled at him and gave him his cup of coffee. She sat next to him by the counter. Sasuke watched her take a sip of coffee. He paid close attention to her lips as they separated from the ceramic cup. His gaze traveled from her lips to her eyes, then to her whole face.

She sensed his gaze and looked up to catch his eye. He was looking at her with that intense stare that made her internally shiver. His onyx eyes were like bottomless pits that she could just fall into forever. She didn't know if it was his Karate uniform or not, but right now, he seemed increasingly attractive. The fact that his tattoo was in clear sight was only adding to her attraction. She wasn't kidding when she said that tattoos were a big turn on for her.

"Sakura," said Sasuke. Her eyes snapped up to his.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I want you to know where I stand regarding you and me," he said. She put her coffee down and turned to give him her full attention.

"Okay," she said. "It's better without the guessing," This was sudden, but at least she would know where this was going now. But was she ready to know?

"Right," said Sasuke. "I want to see you. I want to see you…with the intention of dating you," he said. He leaned against the counter and tried to look as nonchalant as possible, but inside, he was nervous.

Sakura nodded her head. She was a little surprised at how blunt his statement was, but then again, that's just how he is.

"We agreed to help our kids," said Sasuke. "You've been good to Suki. She loves you like the mother she never had," he said. Sakura gave him a sympathetic smile. "You mean a lot to her. All she talks about is how great you are…and I can see why," he said.

"Sasuke," whispered Sakura.

"You're a good mother," he continued. "You've raised a good kid. I want Suki to have you in her life…and that's why I want to get to know you better,"

Sakura fidgeted with her cup. Now that she knew his intentions, it was only fair that she tell him hers. But come on, he just basically told her he intends to date her to the point where he'll want to marry her one day. And there was one other thing that she noticed; He said he wanted her for Suki. But did_ he_ want her?

"I would be happy to get to know you better too," said Sakura. "I've haven't seen Sora look this happy in a long time," she said. "And that's because of you," she said while getting up from her seat. She leaned against the island in her kitchen so that she now standing opposite him. "So I guess I would say that I can agree with your intentions" she said.

"So where do you stand?" he asked. Sakura looked at him with a blank stare. "Where do you stand regarding you and me?" he asked. She looked so unsure of herself. Her arms were folded against her chest and her head was tilted down.

Sakura didn't know how to tell him. She didn't know how to tell him that visions of her husband come to her when she sees him. She couldn't tell him that she felt like she was cheating on Sai, by seeing someone who could pass as his brother. She couldn't tell him that he was starting to make her feel the same way Sai made her feel so long ago. She couldn't tell him that he was getting to her…and it scared her.

She was afraid of moving on. She tried not to show it, but on the inside, she was torn. She promised herself that she would date again for Sora. Just like how Sasuke wanted to date for Suki. But how does she make her intentions clear to him?

Before she could conjure up any thought, she was suddenly aware of Sasuke's presence standing right in front of her. She looked up at his face and saw his anticipation for her answer. He looked calm and composed as usual, but she could see past the collectiveness.

"I'm…not sure what to say," she admitted. "I just…I don't know how to put it in words. It's complicated with you and me," she said.

"What's so complicated?" he asked.

"Well for one thing, you're my boss," she stated. "What are the policies about dating one of your doctors? And what about the kids? What are we going to tell them? I know they're only five, but kids notice these kinds of things," she said. "And both our jobs are just so demanding. How are we going to find time to be together?"

Sasuke listened to her rant about the reasons why a relationship might not work, but he really wasn't listening to her at all. He was too focused on her lips. The coffee seemed to have warmed them up, giving them a rosy pink color. The way they moved as she spoke made them all the more enticing. Sasuke was once again, mesmerized by this woman.

"…and what about you?" asked Sakura. Sasuke stopped looking at her lips and locked onto her eyes. "Is Suki the only reason why you want me?" she asked softly as she looked away from him.

Sasuke placed his hand on the side of her face and tilted her face up. Her eyes seemed so full of doubt. How was he going to convince her that he wasn't going to use her? What did he have to do in order to show her that he was in this for real? He studied her face again. Even with fear and doubt clouding her features, she was still beautiful.

He subconsciously brushed the outline of her lips with his thumb. Again, he realized how his body seemed to act on its own. He also realized that they were in the same situation from last time; Sakura trapped in the corner of the kitchen with Sasuke looming over her. Was it him, or did all their moments happen in the kitchen?

"…Suki is my daughter, she comes first in my life," said Sasuke. His free arm went and circled behind Sakura's back, pulling her closer to him. "But that doesn't mean she can't share the spotlight. Sakura…do you really think I'd use you?" he asked.

Being so close to him made her study his features again. He looked so sincere that Sakura felt guilty for doubting him. He was just like her. They both shared the same hardship of being a single parent…and it was just then that Sakura realized that Sasuke had lost someone too. His wife died when Suki was born. Didn't that mean that he also knew the pain of losing a loved one? Didn't that mean that he felt just as guilty about moving on? Didn't that mean that he would never use her?

Sasuke wouldn't do that. Sakura knew by the way he is around Suki, that he wouldn't do anything to hurt someone, let alone her. He was just a man, trying to move on and do what's best for his daughter.

Sakura tentatively placed her hands on the sides of his face. Slowly, her fingers trailed down his features, analyzing and comparing them to Sai.

"_So similar…yet so different,"_ she thought as her fingers came to a stop at his lips, which were becoming dangerously close to hers by the second.

Sasuke stopped his advances by an inch of her lips. He waited to see if she would draw back, if she had any more uncertainties.

Sakura's heart was pounding; whether it was in fear or anticipation, she didn't know. Here she was, once again in Sasuke's embrace. And once again, she felt secure in his hold. She gave him a small smile, and that was all that he needed to close the gap between them.

He pushed his lips against hers gently, but firmly. The second he felt his lips make contact with hers sent a spark throughout his system.

He felt Sakura slide her hands to the back of his neck to let them rest there. He loved the feeling of her lips. They were so soft and warm. She seemed to melt in his arms so he tightened his hold on her and moved his head to give himself a better angle.

Sakura didn't know what to expect if he ever kissed her, but she sure wasn't expecting it to feel this good. She stood in his embrace and allowed him to do as he pleased, before she began to kiss back. She pulled herself closer to him and let her hands slip around toward his head, where her fingers became tangled in his hair.

It's been more than three years since the last time she was kissed, so being with Sasuke was like getting her first kiss all over again. She felt his hands roam around her back, sending shivers up her spine. His hair was smooth and sleek to the touch under her fingers.

The kiss lasted about one minute before they barley pulled apart for air. Her fingers were still tangled in his hair and his hands held her in place against his chest. Sasuke saw the pink blush splashed across her cheeks. She was looking at him with clouded eyes and parted pink lips. He could feel her hasty breaths of air mix with his own as he stared down at her. Their noses were barley touching.

"Sakura," said Sasuke as he cupped the side of her face with his hand.

Sakura's head was spinning. His kiss felt so good, and she loved the way he held her. The way his arm was wrapped around her back was so strong and protective, almost possessive in a way. She looked into his eyes and couldn't help but lift herself up with her toes and kiss him again. Sasuke, surprised at first, responded by weaving his fingers into her pink locks and pushing her head closer to his own, smashing their lips closer together in the process.

His tongue ran across her bottom lip, asking for entrance, which she gladly gave to him. Their tongues battled each other for dominance as their breathing became mixed and rushed.

The feeling of her body pressed against his own ignited a flame deep within him. Their kisses became more intense and Sasuke found that it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his hands up north. He wanted to feel all of her. He smirked against her kiss as he heard her give off a small moan in between kisses.

The world around them seemed to slowly disappear as they became immersed within each other. No coherent thoughts were possible as they focused only on each other.

_"CRASH!" _

Sasuke and Sakura reluctantly broke apart at the sound of something breaking in the living room, where the kids were. They looked at each other for a moment before straightening themselves out and running into the living room.

They were both panting slightly as they reached their destination. Sora and Suki were standing in the living room next to the couch.

"What happened? Are you guys okay?" asked Sakura worriedly as she came to them. Sora looked wide-eyed and Suki looked to be near tears.

"We broke the lamp," said Sora. "Sorry mommy," he said quietly. Sakura went closer and could see the shattered lamp on the ground next to the couch.

"How did that happened?" asked Sasuke, who stepped around the couch to the broken lamp. He began to pick up the large sharp pieces and take them away from the kids.

"Come over here you two," said Sakura as she directed them away from the lamp. There were broken pieces of the lamp scattered everywhere and she didn't want them to get cut. "Now what happened?" she asked.

"We were playing ninjas…and then we hit the lamp," said Sora. The TV was still on with the show on display.

"(Sniff)…. I'm sorry…." said Suki. She rubbed her eyes with her hands to wipe the tears away. Sakura's heart broke at Suki in tears.

"Oh no sweetie, it's okay," said Sakura as she crouched down to her level. "It's only a lamp," she said as she brought Suki into a hug. "No more tears, it's okay," she said. Suki nodded her head into Sakura chest, but still sniffled a bit. Sakura held one of her arms out for Sora, who came and hugged his mother too.

Sakura kissed both their heads and held them for a few seconds. Sasuke watched the three of them on the floor. This was what he wanted. He wanted someone to be able to comfort Suki in times like these; he wanted Sakura to be able to do this for her.

Sakura looked up at Sasuke and found him looking at them with a soft expression. She caught his gaze, and she began to blush again. Sasuke smirked when he saw this. Sakura let go of the kids and held both their hands.

"I'm glad you both are okay. Accidents happen, you just have to be careful. I don't want you two to get hurt. You're too cute for that," she said. Suki giggled. "Now who wants some ice cream?" she asked.

"Me!" shouted Sora and Suki at the same time. Sakura chuckled.

"Okay, let's go into the kitchen," said Sakura. Sora and Suki bolted for the kitchen, leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone again. Sakura got up from her crouched position and walked over towards the broken lamp.

"I'll replace lamp," said Sasuke.

"Don't worry about it," said Sakura. "I never really liked that lamp anyway. Now I have a reason to get a better one," she said with a smile. "I'm just glad the kids weren't hurt,"

"Moooooooommy" said Sora singing voice from the kitchen.

"I'm coming sweetie," she said. "Just leave the lamp there. I'll take care of that later," she said as she turned towards the kitchen. Before she could take one step, Sasuke grabbed her elbow and pulled her into his arms again. Sakura gasped as he planted his lips on hers again in a slow, passionate kiss.

They pulled apart slowly and smiled at each other. Well…Sakura smiled and Sasuke smirked.

"Daaaaaaaaaddy," said Suki's own singing voice from the kitchen. Keeping the smirk plastered on his face, Sasuke walked towards the kitchen, leaving a breathless Sakura to stand idly in the living room to try to come back down from cloud nine.

* * *

**Karate Match: Wednesday, 3:30 PM**

The match had started an hour ago. The kids had all displayed their abilities to the crowd and to their sensei. After a series of other events, it was time for the boards to be brought out. Sasuke, Naruto, and Shikamaru had taken seats in the front row.

"What time is it?" asked Shikamaru as he slouched in his seat. "I feel like I've been here for hours," he said.

"Come on you lazy bum," said Naruto. "You should be more excited about seeing Akio today. He actually got his belt…and we've only been here for an hour,"

Shikamaru just sighed again. He really wanted to go outside and have a smoke. But Ino convinced him to try and quit the habit by arguing how bad it would be for the twins. "_Troublesome woman,"_ he thought. But still, even though he didn't show it, Shikamaru was proud if his son.

Most of the kids, including Akio, had already gotten their belts. Now it was down to a handful of students who had yet to get them.

"Sora Arisugaki," said the announcer. They had a perfect view of Sora as he stepped up to his sensei.

"GO SORA!" shouted Naruto from the stands.

"Shut up Dobe," said Sasuke. Naruto had practically shouted in his ear. Sasuke, who was now slightly tone deaf in his left ear, faced the match and watched Sora step up to Lee, who was wearing a ridiculously green karate uniform.

"Hey," said Naruto. "I know that guy….it's bushy-brows. Remember him? He studied physical education with me back in college," said Naruto. "Who'd have thought he'd be the Karate instructor here,"

"Hn," said Sasuke. He remembered the fuzzy browed man that Naruto used to hang out with. He just didn't really care about him that's all.

Lee had placed a ¼ of an inch thick piece of wood in front of Sora. The board was supported by a yellow belt. Sora would be able to get the belt if he could break the board. He stepped up to Lee and they both bowed. Sora looked at the stands and spotted Sasuke.

Sasuke caught his gaze and nodded at him. Sora felt the need to do his best in front of Sasuke. He really wanted to show him that he could be strong too…and he really wanted that yellow belt. Sora nodded back and turned to face the board once more.

"Show them what the burning power of youth has given to you Sora," said Lee and he held the board in front of the boy.

Sora got into his fighting stance and focused on the board. He took a deep breath in and brought his hand down on the board, which snapped in half at the impact. The audience clapped and Lee gave the belt to Sora, who waved it in the air. He then bowed to Lee again, before running back to his spot on the mat.

Sasuke smirked at Sora. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride from the boy as he broke through that board. It was an accomplishing feeling for Sasuke, for he had never been able to help Suki in any of her activities. Watching Sora today gave Sasuke a new aspiration to help him out even more; to ensure that Sora grew up to be strong and smart, just as a father would want for his son. It was a feeling Sasuke wouldn't mind getting used to. Not only that, but now he had more opportunities to see Sakura.

The match ended about a half an hour later. Sora and Akio ran up to the guys with their new belts around their waists.

"Great job guys," said Naruto.

"Thanks uncle Naruto," said the boys. Naruto excused himself, saying that he wanted to go and talk to Lee for a bit. Akio went up to his dad and yawned.

"Can we go home now?" asked Akio in a bored voice that made Shikamaru proud. Shikamaru nodded turned to Sasuke.

"Later," he said as he and Akio left the gym.

Sasuke kneeled down to Sora's level. "You did well. Now let's go show your mom," he said. Sasuke lifted Sora onto his shoulders again. Sora really liked riding on his shoulders. It made him feel like a giant.

"See if you can find the Dobe," said Sasuke. Sora laughed and nodded. He scanned the area from up above for blond hair and spotted Naruto walking towards them with Lee.

"Hey Sasuke, its Lee," said Naruto as he and Lee approached them. Naruto was a little surprised to see Sora on his shoulders. Since when did they get close?

"Hello Sasuke," said Lee. "It is good to see you again after such a long time," said Lee as he held his hand out for Sasuke. Sasuke briefly shook his hand.

"Hn," said Sasuke. Lee observed Sasuke and Sora for a bit. He never really made the connection before, but Sora looked an awful lot like Sasuke. Lee was only informed about his mission, but he knew only key factors about the history behind his assignment. One of them being, that Sora' father was a former agent of the CIA. It was part of his job to report all significant events and findings to his commander, and this seemed interesting enough to mention later on.

"I wanna show my belt to my mommy," said Sora. At the mention of Sakura, Lee lost his thoughts about the mission.

"Oh, well say hello to your beautiful mother for me Sora. She burns with the youthful intensity of a thousand suns. Such a rare find these days," said Lee with a dramatic face. Sasuke glared at the green man.

He didn't like the way he talked about Sakura….actually he didn't even like that he even knew Sakura. Naruto noticed the bit of hostility that Sasuke was emitting. "_What set __him__ off?"_ he thought.

"Let's go," said Sora, who bounced slightly on Sasuke shoulders. Sasuke turned and began walking in the other direction. Sora turned his head back and said goodbye to Lee. Naruto said his goodbyes too and ran to catch up with them.

"Let's go see your mom at work," said Sasuke.

* * *

**Kyoto: CIA Training department. **

Kakashi was currently in the observation deck of training area 10. His police hounds were going through a routine training program. They had to do this simulation every four months in order to maintain their lessons. Kakashi watched as his dogs ran, jumped, attacked and searched for victims or enemies. His dogs never failed him. They were the best protectors he knew.

The program ended and the simulation stopped. Kakashi saw his canines come together in a straight line, indicating that they were waiting for their master to give the orders. Another man came out from the door next to them and patted the dog's heads. The said man looked up at the observation deck and waved at Kakashi.

Kakashi nodded his head and went to go down stairs.

"That's good for today," said Kakashi. "Thanks again for coming down today…Kiba," said Kakashi as he went and shook Kiba's hand. "Traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto isn't exactly convenient,"

"No problem Kakashi," said Kiba. "Your dogs are some of the finest breeds of police hounds I've trained so far. I'd come back anytime for them" he said as he patted one dogs head.

"Your wife didn't mind you coming down here last minute?" asked Kakashi.

"Nah," said Kiba. "She understands. Besides, it's not like she could leave Jun at home by himself. Speaking of Jun, he's made friends with your grandson," he said.

"Really now?" asked Kakashi. "It's good to know Sora's making friends down there. Your keeping up with the mission I trust?"

"You know it," said Kiba. "Relax Kakashi. Sakura doesn't appear to be in any immediate danger. She's perfectly fine in Tokyo. As a matter of fact, she was my son's doctor a while back. Jun contracted some sort of infection and she just so happened to be his physician. She really is a great doctor,"

"She is," said Kakashi. "But I'm not letting my guard down for a second. I've gotten word from Itachi Uchiha that he's picked up on the investigation regarding the incident three years ago,"

"You mean the accident?" asked Kiba. "I didn't know that project was still going on. It was declared an accident after all"

"Well it is," said Kakashi. "That's why I need you and all the other agents to be on your guard. I trust you and the others with my daughter and my grandson's life. Make no mistakes," he said.

"Right sir," said Kiba. "I'm always within range of her. Sakura lives in my neighborhood. I've investigated the area several times and I can conclude that it's safe,"

"And what about Sakura?" asked Kakashi. "How is she doing?" he asked softly. Kiba looked at the man with sympathy. Sakura was pretty famous in the CIA for being known as Kakashi's only daughter. But there was something else that she was known for too. The rumor of the relationship between Kakashi's top Special Agent and his daughter was biggest internal drama the CIA had ever encountered.

The controversy of it all, plus the added complication of the situation interfering with CIA activity, eventually led to Kakashi losing his daughter. But that was another story. The situation was supposedly resolved, but that time in the CIA was a hard one for Kakashi.

"Sakura is perfectly fine," said Kiba. "And we'll see to it that it stays that way," he promised. Kakashi nodded. "But if you don't mind me asking sir…what's the investigation got to do with Sakura and Sora? They have no knowledge of Sai's place here," he said. Kakashi straightened.

"It has everything to do with them," said Kakashi. "Sai was one of the best agents we had. He was far too sharp and skilled to be killed so recklessly in some accident," said Kakashi as he turned and walked towards the exit. His dogs followed him obediently.

"So you mean…" said Kiba.

"Sai didn't die from an accident….,' said Kakashi as his coat swung freely behind him. "He was murdered….and we still don't know who did it," said Kakashi as he exited the compound.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**Review Please! **


	16. Going Home

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 16: Going Home**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

_**Late October…**_

**KMC: GYN Exam room**

Tenten was lying down on the exam table with Neji by her side. Today would be her second diagnostic ultrasound exam and the moment to find out the sex of the baby. Neji was still in the dark about Tenten's secret. He was just excited about finding out the gender, even though he didn't show it. They were both dressed casually as they both took the day off from work. Tenten was wearing a long white sweater that fit comfortably around her belly with long black form fitting pants. Neji wore beige cargo pants with a black coat.

"I'm nervous," said Tenten as she turned her head towards him. Sakura wasn't with them just yet so the two of them just waited in the exam room together.

"About what?" asked Neji. "You've already seen the baby at your first ultrasound…without me," Tenten chuckled at the hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Sorry about that," she said. "You were busy that day and I didn't want to bug you," she said. Neji leaned in and kissed her forehead. Then he let one of his hands roam over her large belly. At almost five months, Tenten looked as though she could pass for seven months.

"Well I'm here now," said Neji as his hand stopped on top of her belly. He could feel the baby kicking inside. Neji gave off something in between a smirk and a smile at the feel of the kicks. Tenten on the other hand, winced as the baby kicked in the opposite direction on her ribcage.

"Okay, somebody's fussy in there," said Tenten as she placed her hand over the area where the baby kicked. She gently massaged the area, hoping the ministration would comfort the baby. She caught Neji starring at her lovingly as she did so. "What?" she asked.

Neji just leaned in and kissed her softly. Tenten's hand came off her abdomen and went to the back of his head where her fingers tangled themselves in his long brown hair. Neji pulled back and gazed at her. This pregnancy only enhanced her beauty. She was shining with a mothers glow.

"You're beautiful," said Neji as his hand once again came to rest on top of her belly. Tenten smiled at him and brought her other hand to rest on top of his. The diamond of her wedding ring shone brightly against the light, making their hands seem worthy of a photo. She might as well tell him now.

"Neji," said Tenten. He locked his gaze onto her, waiting for her to continue. "There's something I need to tell you before Sakura gets here," she said as she tried to sit up. Neji assisted her and she managed to get into the sitting position.

"What is it?" asked Neji. She took his hands and placed them on either side of her belly. Neji could feel the kicks, but he was waiting for what she had to say.

"Do you feel that?" she asked. Neji nodded but kept his gaze on hers. "Notice anything about the pattern of the kicks?" she asked. Neji dropped his gaze from hers and focused on the kicking. He could feel a powerful impact on one hand, and he could also feel the same on the other hand. So what? The baby was kicking hard. What's so serious about that?

But then he finally noticed it; one kick here and another there. "_It can't be," _he thought as his slightly shocked eyes came back to his wife's. She was smiling at him while holding his hands in place on her abdomen.

"Tenten…," said Neji. His pale white orbs searched her warm brown ones in search of an answer. "Are you…is it twins?" he asked astonishingly. She smiled, but shook her head no. Neji was confused. There was definitely more than one baby in there, judging by the kicks alone. Plus, twins ran through his family line.

"Neji….," she said softly. "…We're having _triplets_," she said with a small chuckle. Neji stood up from his chair and held onto her the sides of her face. His expression was completely shocked, and that was a first for Tenten. She was beaming; she finally caught him off guard.

"Triplets?" he asked. He tried to remain calm, but how can he? He was now going to be the father of not one, not two, but THREE babies! "Are you sure?" he asked. Tenten nodded her head.

"I'm sure," she said. "Sakura found out on the first ultrasound. Are you mad?" she asked nervously. She soon found herself in Neji's tight embrace, although he was careful not to hold her _too_ tightly. He kissed her lips again and again.

"Never," he said as he held her close. He let go of her and kneeled down to her abdomen. He placed his hands on her belly and rested the side of his face on the front. Inside her, were three new Hyuga babies; _his _babies. Neji quickly kissed Tenten's belly before standing up to kiss Tenten again.

"I love you," said Tenten as she wrapped her arms around him as best she could.

"I love you," said Neji as he continuously kissed her. "Always," he said. They both were so preoccupied with each other that they failed to notice when the door opened.

Sakura walked in and stopped when she saw the action. She smiled at the two of them. Neji and Tenten weren't known for PDA, so it was a rare sight to even see them kiss each other.

"Careful," said Sakura while the two expectant parents broke apart with blushes on their faces. "You wouldn't want to get _another _baby in there now would you?" she asked as she closed the door to the exam room.

"The jig is up Sakura..._he knows_," said Tenten as Neji helped her lay back down. Sakura laughed and began to get the machine ready.

"So how's pregnancy treating you lately?" asked Sakura as she input the information into the machine. "Do you have any more nausea or discomfort?"

"Not really," said Tenten. "Although I can feel them kicking already,"

"Well, that's a good thing," said Sakura. "Seeing as how you've got a full house in there, it's pretty normal," she said. "Okay, let's see my god babies," she said as she placed the gel coated transducer onto Tenten's belly.

The screen clearly showed all three of the babies. Tenten placed her hand over her mouth. They looked different from the jellybean shapes she saw on her first ultrasound exam. Now they looked human. You could clearly see their little arms, legs, heads, and abdomens. The other really cool thing was that she could also see their little hearts beating.

"Those are our babies," said Tenten as her eyes watered. Neji held her hand and leaned forward to get a glimpse of his children for the first time. It was a beautiful sight to see them together. Sakura went through a routine exam for all three babies.

"For now, were going to have to refer to them by letters," said Sakura. "Let's look at baby A," She focused on one baby and gave Neji and Tenten a clear shot of the babies face. Tenten's face radiated with happiness as she looked onto the 2D image her child's face. "Everything looks good there. You guys want to know the sex right?" she asked. They nodded and Sakura explored some more.

"Okay, baby A is…a boy," she said. Tenten let out a small laugh as she held onto Neji's hand tighter. Neji looked thrilled as he looked at his son through the screen.

"Baby B looks good too and this one is….another boy," she said she zoomed in on its face. "I have two godsons," she said happily. Tenten and Neji gave each other tender looks before looking back on the screen.

"And last but not least, baby C is…a," she moved around a bit and finally found the location. "Ohhhhhh, it's a girl," she declared. Tenten let out another laugh and Neji sighed with content. Neji leaned forward and kissed Tenten's forehead again as Sakura froze the pictures on the monitor in consecutive order.

"Two boys and one girl," said Sakura. "Congratulations you guys!"

"I can't believe it," said Tenten as a tear slipped from her eye. She looked at the faces of her three babies. Even though she'd been pregnant for almost five months, Tenten never really had the feeling the she was going to be a mother…until now.

Neji kept his hold around Tenten. He finally got to see his children. Immediately, the feelings of love, protectiveness and pride filled his system, especially when he saw his daughter. He was going to be the father of a little girl. Of course, he was definitely proud of his two sons as well. Seeing the two of them was enough to boost his male pride for the rest of his life, but expecting a daughter was something else altogether.

Sakura on the other hand, was happy for her friends. She printed out some cute pictures of the triplets to give to the two of them as keepsakes.

After the exam was over, Sakura helped get Tenten cleaned up and asked that she and Neji join her in her office for a summary. Once they entered the office and got comfortable, Sakura braced herself to tell them what she found.

"How are you two feeling now that you've seen the babies?" asked Sakura.

"I'm…amazed, that these three little people are growing inside me," said Tenten. Sakura turned to Neji.

"What about you? How are you holding up now that you know how many babies to expect?" she asked.

"Hn," said Neji. "Aside the conspiracy portion of it all…" he said as he starred accusingly at Tenten and Sakura "…It's just good to know that they're healthy," said Neji as he glanced at Tenten's belly.

"I'll keep regular checkups with you Tenten," she said as she turned to her friend. "I'll monitor the babies as often as possible to make sure they're okay. But you can definitely expect them to be born sooner than normal," said Sakura.

"How soon?" asked Tenten as she placed her hand over her belly. The need to protect her babies had taken over her.

"I'm expecting you to go into labor within the next three months. Early labor is relatively normal when you're expecting more than one baby. We need to make sure you don't go into labor before their lungs develop properly. We're aiming to get you to at least 28-32 weeks of pregnancy. Right now, you're around 21 weeks," said Sakura.

Tenten looked worriedly at her large abdomen. Just the possibility that something might go wrong during the delivery made her scared out of her mind. These were her babies, but they were Neji's kids too. She looked over at her husband and he took a hold of her hand in his.

"Sakura," said Neji. "We trust you with our kids. So long as you're our physician, we can rest easy," Sakura nodded in understanding. He was trying to be strong for Tenten.

"I'm not about to let anything happen to my god babies…or to you Tennie," said Sakura. "But you're really going to have to take it easy from now on," she said. "You're now in the high risk category, and you're officially on maternity leave as of this moment. No arguments," she said.

"I thought I had to be at least eight months for maternity leave," said Tenten.

"That would have been the case, had you been pregnant with only one child. You have three to support. Maternity leave starts now!" said Sakura firmly. "Although if you still want to come to the hospital to hang out, you're more than welcome," she said.

Tenten was a little disappointed, but if that's what she had to for her babies, then so be it. The three of them talked a bit more about the babies and what to expect in the coming months. After that, Tenten and Neji got up to leave.

* * *

_**Other people's POV: **_

The staff at Konoha Medical was busy doing their jobs as usual. The hospital wasn't too busy and everyone was feeling a little at ease, knowing that their CEO had miraculously taken the day off from work. That is until he was seen walking in through the front doors of the hospital…with a child at his side.

Immediately, whispers could be heard throughout the halls of the hospital. Word travels fast here, and this sighting of their CEO, dressed in casual clothing with his child by his side was something that was never seen before.

Uchiha Sasuke and his _SON!_

That's right, everyone at KMC knew that their CEO was a father; it was in his records. However, they didn't know whether or not he had a son or a daughter. But now they had conformation. That child's resemblance to his father was undeniable. Not to mention he was just adorable in that little Karate uniform he was wearing.

But now there was one more question, who was the mother? That would be the question of the day for the KMC staff. Well, at least the female members anyway. They all watched as Sasuke and his "son" made their way to the elevators.

_**Eighth floor…**_

The nurses from the eighth floor were slightly distracted from their work seeing as how they heard that their beloved Sasuke Uchiha had come to work today after all. They were excited, but there was also a rumor that he was here with his _child!_

If he had a child, then that child had a mother, which meant that Sasuke must have a wife somewhere. That didn't sit too well with the Sasuke Uchiha fan club. But why would he be bringing his child here? Their question was answered when the doors to the elevator opened up. Sasuke and the little boy, who was obviously his son, walked out of it. They all abruptly turned their heads when they heard the boy shout one horrifying word…

…"Mommy"!

_**Normal POV:**_

Sakura, Tenten and Neji had just stepped out of her office.

"So just take it easy Tennie and let me know if you feel anything out of the ordinary," said Sakura.

"Don't worry, Neji will page you every time I try to stand up," said Tenten. Neji just gave her a look, but said nothing. They heard the elevators give off a "ding" but paid no attention to it, until….

"Mommy!" came a cute little loud voice from down the hall. Sakura, Neji and Tenten turned their heads towards Sora's voice.

"Sora?" said Sakura as she watched him run down the hall towards her with every staff member watching the scene. Sakura bent down to hug Sora as he came running into her arms. Everyone on the floor stood dumbstruck.

Dr. Haruno….their superior, was the mother of _Sasuke Uchiha's child? _Did that mean she was his wife too?

"What are you doing here sweetie?" asked Sakura. She saw Sasuke walk up behind Sora and nod at Neji and Tenten.

"Look at my belt," said Sora as he stood in front of her. Sakura saw his new yellow belt and smiled.

"Oh you got a new belt. I'm so proud of you," she said as she brought him into a hug again. She kissed his forehead and then stood up.

Neji and Tenten watched Sakura interact with Sora. Someday, very soon, that would be them. They would have their own kids to be proud of.

"Are you coming home?" asked Sora. Sakura checked her watch. It was around 4:00 PM by now, and that meant that she had about another half hour left to be here.

"I have to stay here a little while longer," said Sakura. "But you can stay with me if want to," Sora nodded his head. Sakura glanced at Sasuke. "Show your belt to Uncle Neji and Aunty Tenten" she said. Sora turned to his godparents as Sakura turned to Sasuke.

"I wasn't expecting you to bring him here, but I'm glad you did," she said as she looked over at Sora, who was being held by Neji while talking to his aunt. "I've been feeling guilty all day about not being at his match,"

"He wanted to show you his belt, so I brought him here," said Sasuke. Sakura turned back to Sasuke and smiled. "You can thank me later, when you come for dinner tonight at my house," said Sasuke. That look in his eye was slightly suggestive, making Sakura blush a bit.

"I…didn't know I was coming," said Sakura while trying to control the blush. Why was she blushing so much anyway? Just because they desperately made-out the other day didn't mean she had to blush right? "I don't recall being _asked_ to come," she said. Sasuke just continued to smirk at her tiny blush. It just made him was to grab her and….

"Sakura," said Neji. Sasuke and Sakura turned to Neji, who was still carrying Sora. Neji and Tenten didn't fail to notice the very small blush on Sakura's cheeks. "We'll be going now, but Sora can come with us if he wants too," he said while eying Sasuke suspiciously.

"I want to stay with my mommy," said Sora. Everyone chuckled a bit at his cuteness. Tenten kissed Sora's cheek and then Neji placed him down. He and Tenten said their goodbyes.

"Okay," said Sakura as she held Sora's hand. "I just have some paper work to do and then we can go home," she said. "Thanks for bringing him here," she said to Sasuke.

"Hn," he replied. He looked down at Sora. "You did well today," he said. Sora looked happy at the comment and smiled.

"I ate a tomato for breakfast today, so I was strong" said Sora. Sasuke smirked and Sakura chuckled.

"We can train some more today, that is, if your mommy saves the paper work for tomorrow and comes home right now," said Sasuke. "I'll teach you how to kick like a ninja," he said. Sora's face lit up with excitement as he turned to Sakura with pleading eyes.

"Please Mommy!" he said while swinging their joined hands back and forth. Sakura sighed. Even though there was still quite a bit of work to do, how could she say no that face?

"Okay," said Sakura. "Just let me get my purse," she said as she turned back towards her office.

_**From the sidelines…**_

The staff continued to observe the three from a distance. They couldn't hear anything this far away. The only thing they heard was when the little boy shouted "Mommy". They saw how Dr. Haruno seemed to be thinking about something, before taking her son's hand and walking down towards the elevators with Mr. Uchiha by her side. They could have sworn they saw her blush as well.

Now they had something to talk and vent about for a few weeks. From now on, they would have to live with the knowledge that their beloved CEO was…_TAKEN!_

_**Later that evening: Uchiha Estate Balcony**_

Sakura was standing outside of the first floor balcony and enjoying the crisp October evening. Sasuke was inside the house, taking a business call.

Upon entering the house earlier today, Sasuke and Sakura discovered that dinner was already made and waiting for them in the kitchen. Apparently Sasuke's mother, Mikoto, had stopped by earlier and dropped off a homemade dinner for Sasuke and Suki. Obviously she wasn't expecting Sakura and Sora as well, but there was enough food for everyone.

After Dinner, Sakura saw fit to make some pudding for the kids. Sora and Suki were sitting on the couch and watching Sora's favorite Ninja anime again. Suki had obviously become a fan of the show as well. The two of them sat and watched the show intently while eating their pudding.

Sakura looked up at the stars. She happily recalled the pleasant memories of star gazing with Sai. When she was pregnant with Sora, Sakura often found herself looking at the stars through the bedroom window. Sora had a tendency to start kicking her womb in the middle of the night, but she found that looking at the stars calmed her, and in turn, calmed Sora.

Sakura closed her eyes. She could still remember the feel of Sai's arms around her; the way he would hold her against his chest. She loved that feeling.

Then, all of the sudden, she could feel those arms wrapping around her again. Sakura gasped as she looked back at Sasuke.

"…You've got to quit sneaking up behind me," she said as she released her breath. Sasuke smirked and moved to stand next to her while keeping one arm draped over her shoulders.

"And you've got to stop spacing out," he said. He saw her roll her eyes before looking back up at the stars. "That was the Hotel in Kyoto," he said, referring to his phone call. "They just wanted confirmation for the reservations,"

"Oh," said Sakura. "But you know, I was thinking that maybe I should stay with my dad," she said while looking up at him. "I mean, since he lives in Kyoto and everything I just thought it would be a good way to work in a visit with him. Is that going to be a problem?" she asked.

"No, it's no problem," he said. "Does your dad know that you're coming down there?" he asked. Sakura shook her head.

"I haven't told him yet," she said. "But I know he'll want me to stay with him," she said. Sakura looked back into the house. From the balcony, she could see Sora and Suki playing ninja in the living room again. She chuckled. "They're so cute," she said. Sasuke looked back too and saw Suki bouncing around the room and laughing.

"Hn," he said. Sakura just sighed and let her head fall onto his shoulder. His arm was holding her tightly against him, almost as if he wasn't risking the chance of her leaving his side anytime soon. Sakura's arms were folded in front of her, making her a little uncomfortable against his strong hold.

So she released her arms and wrapped them around his side, snuggling against him. "I'm too tired to hit you right now," she said. Sasuke just smirked again and moved her so that her back was against his chest.

A light breeze swept past them, making Sakura shiver a bit. Sasuke felt this and held her closer.

"We should go inside," said Sasuke.

"No, I'm fine," she said. "I've watched the stars in cooler weather than this," she said as she leaned against him again. Sasuke said nothing, but began to slowly rub his hands over her arms to warm her up. Sakura smiled at the gesture. He was so warm and caring, even though he didn't seem that way from the outside.

It's been a week since they kissed, but the opportunity never came up for that to happen again. They had both been a little preoccupied lately. With the conference coming up soon, Sasuke was tied down to work and Sakura had more patients to see now that the flu season has approached them.

"Sora looked really happy today," said Sakura. "I'm glad that you brought him to see me. Thank you," she said while looking up at him. "For everything you're doing for him," she said.

The moonlight made her skin glow with beauty. Sasuke couldn't help but stare intently at her.

"Hn," said Sasuke with a smirk. He could see her blush under the moonlight, making her look even more beautiful. Sakura looked into his eyes. The dark of the night was the perfect time of day to complement Sasuke's physic. It gave Sakura a great opportunity to admire those chiseled facial features of his.

She leaned into him again and let her head rest against his chest after the wind picked up speed. Sakura was still wearing her pink scrubs from work, since she came directly over to Sasuke's house from the hospital. She really didn't have much to cover up with.

"Come on," said Sasuke. "We're going inside,"

"I'm fine Sasuke," said Sakura. "I like the cold weather," she said. She honestly didn't want to go inside. There were plenty of stars out tonight and she would rather stay in the cold and watch them than go inside.

"Put a sweater on then," he said while continuing to rub her arms with his hands. Sakura gave a small chuckle at his concern for her.

"Who needs a sweater when I've got you?" she said while smiling slyly at him. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but smirked nonetheless.

He crushed her against his chest and lowered his head to her ear, close enough so that she could feel his warm breath on her skin. "Does that mean you're, turned on somewhat?" he asked.

"It means…" said Sakura as she turned around and slid her arms loosely around his neck "…that you sometimes make me feel like….I'm being attacked with a fireball jutsu, like…that emo kid on Sora's favorite anime," she said. She laughed as Sasuke faces dropped into his usual stoic one.

Then her eyes widened as he suddenly dove right in and kissed her. She closed her eyes as he wove his fingers into her hair and tilted her head back. That intense exhilarating feeling from their first kiss returned, making her to sigh into his kiss.

Sasuke could feel her hands slide from the back of his neck to the sides of his face, where they gently pulled him away from her. Sasuke kept his hold on her though.

He gave her a questioning look before she took his hands in hers and pulled him to the side of the balcony, away from the sliding doors. They settled at the edge, where Sakura snuggled back into his embrace.

"Now that were not in view of the kids…" she said as she stood on her toes to reach his lips again. Sasuke smirked into the kiss before deepening it. He placed one hand on her hip and the other on the side of her face and he inhaled her scent.

Sakura was truly worthy of her namesake; she smelled just like the spring cherry blossoms. Sasuke was never a man to care for such an essence, but he never realized just how much a woman's scent could affect him before.

Sasuke could feel her struggling to maintain standing on her toes to reach him, so he placed both his hands on her hips and hoisted her up to sit on the edge of the balcony. Sakura broke the kiss and gasped at the sudden move. She held onto his shoulders tighter to balance herself.

"I assume Sora gets his height from you," said Sasuke as his hands began to slide from her waist to her upper back. Sakura playfully smacked him on his shoulder, causing part of his sweater to pull back, revealing his tattoo.

"As long as he didn't get my forehead, I'm okay with that," she said. Sasuke eyed the top of her face.

"What's wrong with it?" he asked. Sakura looked at him like he was blind.

"It's huge!" she said as she pulled her hair back to give him a better look. Sasuke only leaned forward and pecked her forehead with his lips. The sudden move made her lean back and blush. She looked into his eyes with a soft, yet sad expression.

"No it isn't," he said. Honestly, it wasn't very big at all. She must have had some sort of inferiority complex or something as a kid. Sakura just kept looking at him with that sort of amazed expression.

Sakura recalled the many times that Sai would kiss her forehead the way Sasuke just did. It was always a sensitive spot for Sakura as she was constantly teased about it in her grade school days. But Sai made her feel like it was what made her beautiful…and so did Sasuke.

Sakura brought her hand up to Sasuke's face and let her fingers run down his beautifully pale skin. "Really?" she asked while looking at him tenderly. Sasuke nodded and covered her hand with his. He gave it a light squeeze, noticing how cold they were.

Sakura smiled. A warm feeling began to fill her chest because of the look that Sasuke was giving her. It was the same look that Sai used to give her right before he would kiss her senseless.

And that's exactly what Sasuke did as his lips found hers again in a kiss filled with warmth…and desire. A desire that Sasuke knew was growing rapidly every second he spent with her. As Sakura's arms found their way back to his neck, Sasuke's arms were closing the distance between their bodies, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Sakura tilted her head to the side, deepening their kiss. His kisses were so intense and focused, as if she was the only thing in his world at the moment. Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair again, loving the feeling of those surprisingly silky raven locks.

Sasuke was enjoying the feeling of her fingers running across his scalp. Whether it was intentional or not, Sakura was almost massaging his scalp to the point where Sasuke lost focus of any surrounding activity. However, the sound of that soft moan from her throat brought him back to his senses, and back to smirking against her lips.

He vowed to find a woman that could become a part of his life, and his daughter's life as well. He never imagined that within a few short months, he would be in the arms of a woman that, for once in his life, he couldn't imagine being without.

_**From a distance…**_

From his view in the trees approximately 100 feet away from the Uchiha Estate, a figure dressed entirely in black spy gear, was carefully observing his target, which the mission saw fit to appropriately code name "Cherry Blossom". If it were up to the agent, he would have code named someone with a body like Sakura Haruno something _else._

That other code name would have surely got his ass kicked by Commander Hatake.

The agent switched views with his high-tech night vision binoculars to view the inside of the house. He could see two small children, a boy and a girl, bouncing around inside. When he focused the binoculars to get a better look at the children's faces, the agent was stunned.

Those two children looked very much alike; almost like fraternal twins. The agent focused the binoculars on the little boy.

"_So that's Sai's boy?"_ he thought. The resemblance was clear enough. The kid was pretty much a chibi version of the former ROOT Agent. He saw the boy shout something towards the balcony. Next he saw that "Cherry Blossom" had walked back into the house.

With another look around the perimeter, the agent concluded that it was threat-free. He turned his binoculars in the direction of "Chicken Hair". Again, the agent was stunned. Since the man was so "busy" with Cherry Blossom, he didn't get a good look at his face. But now, with the use of his binoculars, he could clearly see the similarities to Sai. It was uncanny.

Chicken Hair seemed to be scouting the area himself. He was carefully looking around the darkness of his backyard. The agent noticed that his body posture was on full alert. Then he saw chicken hair stop his search in the direction of the agent.

Cold Onyx eyes glared with frightening accuracy in the direction of the hidden agent. The agent remained calm. There was no way that Chicken Hair knew he was there. He was perfectly concealed in the darkness of the trees and more than 100 feet away no less.

But that look was unmistakable. It was as if he had sensed another presence. The Uchiha kept his fierce glare in place, until he slowly turned around and walked back into his house, locking the door behind him.

"_That's interesting…that's very interesting,"_ thought the agent as he made a mental note to report this to Kakashi a.s.a.p. The agent's communicator produced a static noise at that moment.

"_Agent Morino, Status report," _came a voice from the other line. The agent tapped his ear piece and responded.

"Idate here, area secured," said Idate as he held down the receiver. He glanced once more in the direction of the Uchiha Estate, before disappearing from his location, and into the night.

_**Five minutes earlier…**_

Sasuke's hands navigated their way around her back slowly. He slid one of his hands down to her hip, where he gave a small squeeze. This surprised Sakura, causing her to gasp into his lips, which in turn, gave him the chance to slip his tongue into her mouth.

He felt her give off a tiny moan of approval as her tongue meet up with his in a dance for dominance, which he was clearly leading. Sakura was glad that she wasn't standing at this point, for she was sure that her legs had taken on the stability of jelly.

Her fingers were still nestled comfortably in his hair as his hands continued roam around her back. But then Sasuke suddenly broke the kiss. Sakura actually gave a small disappointed whimper when he pulled away from her.

Sasuke looked around the back yard, as if searching for someone.

"What's wrong?" asked Sakura as she slowly regained her composure. She just now noticed how cold it was outside, now that she wasn't in his arms anymore. She couldn't help the goosebumps that spread throughout her body.

"Go inside Sakura," said Sasuke as calmly as possible. He slid her down from the balcony railings and briefly ran his arms over hers in an attempt to warm her up. "It's too cold out," he said. Sakura looked like she was going to retort, but then she heard Sora calling out to her.

"Mommy," shouted Sora. Sakura briefly glanced at the door, before looking up at Sasuke in defeat. Sasuke quickly kissed her forehead before she left his arms and went back inside the house.

Now that she was gone, Sasuke immediately went back to scouting out the perimeter of his back yard. While he was with Sakura, he sensed that they were being watched. Sasuke learned to never doubt his instincts.

His eyes scanned the trees that lined the outskirts of his yard. Something told him that there was someone there. But there was another part of him that knew that he couldn't exactly make someone appear out of nowhere. After concentrating hard on a particular spot in the trees, Sasuke slowly turned around and walked back into the house. All the while, he glanced down at his left shoulder and couldn't help remembering the familiar sting of getting his tattoo…

…_those three black coma marks…_

* * *

_**Mid November…Shikamaru's POV: 12:00 PM**_

Shikamaru sighed as he brought the cigarette down and blew out the smoke from his mouth. He was standing outside the Hidden Leaf Restaurant and waiting for his good friend Chouji to step outside since he didn't allow smoking indoors. Shikamaru and Chouji go way back in their childhood. They've been best friends for years and even their families were friends long before they were.

Shikamaru sighed again. The reason why he was out here in the first place was because he needed Chouji's help in planning a surprise dinner for Ino. Their wedding anniversary was coming up, and he didn't want to get in any trouble by forgetting about it again. Last year was disastrous when he came home empty handed, while Ino worked her ass of trying to make him dinner…which she burned to a crisp, but it was the thought that counted anyway.

They eventually got over that issue with some great make-up sex afterword.

"Yo Shikamaru," Said a large rounded man with spiky brown hair and really small eyes. He came out from the restaurant wearing a white chef's uniform with a matching hat.

"Hey Chouji," said Shikamaru. "I need a huge favor,"

"Let me guess," said Chouji. "You want me make your anniversary dinner for Ino don't you?" he said. "I'd be happy to help you. Might I suggest Korean Barbeque?" he said while thinking of his favorite cuisine.

"Ino's wouldn't go near the stuff, you know that," said Shikamaru. "It's going to have to be healthy, _troublesome woman…"_ he muttered at the end "She could use a few more pounds on her,"

"I hear ya," said Chouji. "If that's the case, I'll make a special cake for dessert. Akio and Akira can hang out with me if you want some time alone,"

"Thanks," said Shikamaru. He looked at his watch and sighed. He had to get back to work soon. "I'll call you later about the details,"

"Alright then, I got plenty of orders to make," said Chouji. "See ya later Shikamaru," he said before turning to go back into his restaurant. Shikamaru pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. As he walked back to his car, he listened to the ringing of the phone before an operator picked up the line.

Shikamaru punched in a special code; after that, his call was transferred to another line. He placed his phone onto a slot in his car, and then pushed a button located right underneath the radio. The said radio electronically flipped over to produce a small communicating screen.

"_Asuma here_," came Asuma's voice from the screen.

"Hey Asuma," said Shikamaru as he looked down at the screen. "What's the deal with new assignment?" he said as he started the car. He checked his mirrors and then pulled out of the parking lot.

"_So you got the message_," said Asuma. "_We need your assistance with a cold case that's been reopened," _he said. "_I know you'd rather be cloud watching or something, but this kind of concerns you personally,"_ he said.

"How personally?" asked Shikamaru as he stopped at a red light.

"_The cold case victim is one of our own,"_ said Asuma. "_The agent was from the ANBU ROOT division. Highly skilled and experienced in tracking, combat, espionage, you name it you got with this one," _he said. _"He was one of Kakashi's best recruits, not to mention…his very own son-in-law,"_ said Asuma. Shikamaru raised his eyebrow at that statement.

"And how would that concern me personally?" he asked. He saw Asuma nearly choke on his cigarette.

"_What do you mean? Your related through the agent's wife, Sakura Har__uno_," said Asuma.

"Sakura is Commander Hatake's daughter?" said Shikamaru in a bored yet interested way.

"_Where the hell have you been for the last fifteen years?" _said Asuma. "_Of course she's his daughter. She's practically a CIA celebrity. Don't tell me you've been so out of it that you didn't even know who she was!" _he said.

"I don't care for gossip, I get enough of that from my troublesome wife, but I'll agree to investigate this case myself," said Shikamaru. "What exactly do you want me to find?"

"_A more probable cause of death, indicative of murder," _he answered_. "Itachi Uchiha and the Akatuski are also working on this case. Their job is to find the possible motive for the murder and existing threats, if any. But in order to do that, they're going to need you to assess the crime scene information," _said Asuma.

"One problem there," said Shikamaru. "It's been over three years, and I wasn't present at the autopsy. I'm going to be stuck with nothing but his old negative lab results. I can't guarantee you anything unless I have his actual body, which is impossible," he said.

"_We've got you covered there. We can provide you with someone who was present during the autopsy. Does the word "Sannin" ring a bell?"_ asked Asuma.

"Gotcha," said Shikamaru as he hung up his cell phone. There was no need for further questions after that bit of info. Shikamaru knew that he was good to go.

_**Nara Residence: 6:00 PM**_

Ino sighed as she stepped into her house. She dropped the shopping bags in the living room and began to peel off her coat. She had just returned from a splurge at the mall, where she had already picked up the Christmas gifts for the kids. As much as Ino loved to shop, even she didn't want to end up with last minute Christmas shopping. That's why she learned to get it over with in November.

"I'm home everybody," said Ino as she strolled through their house. It was then that she noticed that everything was unusually clean. That was odd, seeing as how she didn't clean today. That must have meant that Shikamaru must have done it.

"Where is everybody? Shikamaru? Akio? Akira? " she shouted as she strolled through the house. She climbed upstairs and noticed the smell of something good coming her way. Curious, Ino made it all the way upstairs and began to walk down the hall. She stopped by the twin's room, only to find that they weren't there. She panicked slightly as she followed the smell of food into her bedroom.

"What the hell?" said Ino as she stepped into her room. "Chouji? What the hell are you doing here?" said Ino. "What's all this?" she said indicating the small candle-light table for two in the corner of her bedroom.

Chouji, who looked like a caught criminal, tried to hide the surprise by standing in front of it, but to no avail. She caught him.

"Hey Ino," said Chouji. "Uh…you weren't supposed to be here this early. I hope you like stir fry," he said. Ino just gave him a weird look.

"Where's Shikamaru? And where are my kids?" she asked.

"Shikamaru's dropping them off at the restaurant. He obviously wanted to surprise you with this dinner," said Chouji.

"That lazy ass would do all this? Why?" asked Ino. Chouji just looked at her incredulously.

"For your anniversary," he answered. "You didn't forget did you?" he asked as he saw the look on her face. "Oh boy, wait till he finds out," said Chouji with a pudgy smirk. Ino looked shocked. How could she, of all people, forget her anniversary? Even Shikamaru remembered and went through all this trouble for her.

"…Damn," said Ino slowly. This was so romantic, so…un-Shikamaru. She had to do something in return for him, but what? She remembered the trip to the lingerie store she made before coming home, and let a smirk come on to her face about the perfect "gift" she could give to him.

"Thanks for this Chouji, but I've got to get ready for him," said Ino. "And thanks for looking after the twins for me. Now get the hell out please," she said.

"No problem," said Chouji as he began to walk out of the room. "Who knows, maybe after tonight, Akio and Akira can expect another sibling," he said before leaving the room. Ino just rolled her eyes at him as he left, but dashed into the bathroom to take her birth control pills.

After all, the great first-year anniversary make up sex ultimately lead to the twin's conception. She didn't need that happening again anytime soon.

_**7pm…**_

Shikamaru walked into his house and closed the door. He had just dropped the twins off at the Hidden Leaf, and now had to get ready for Ino's return from shopping. She shouldn't be home for like another hour or so. He sighed at the thought of the enormous bill that she would probably be bringing home.

He could smell their dinner coming from upstairs. Dropping his coat to the floor, Shikamaru made his way upstairs. When he reached his bedroom, he was almost tackled to the ground in a searing kiss by Ino.

His arm draped around her waist out of reflex, but he was still baffled that she was home by now. Ino broke the kiss and gazed at his face lovingly.

"I can't believe remembered our anniversary," she said with her arms wrapped around his neck. Shikamaru just noticed that she was wearing a really short white silk robe.

"So much for the surprise," mumbled Shikamaru as his arms went up and down her sides. Ino smiled and kissed him again and again, all the while, leading him over to their bed.

"…Ino…we have…dinner…"said Shikamaru in between kisses. Ino pushed him down onto their bed and crawled on top of him. She slowly slipped her robe off, proudly displaying her new lacy electric blue bra and matching panties.

Shikamaru let his lazy eyes roam over her body. With a flawless build and no traces of stretch marks, he was still amazed that she gave birth to his twins. Ino leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"You know I like dessert first," she said as kissed him again. It took only a matter of seconds before she was flipped on her back with her husband hovering above her. He tore his shirt off and flung it on the ground. These were one of the few moments where she could enjoy his energetic side.

"Happy anniversary…you troublesome woman," said Shikamaru as he leaned over her again.

"Happy anniversary…you lazy ass," said Ino as their lips met in the first of many fiery kisses for the night.

* * *

**December…Konoha Medical Center 4: 15pm**

Sasuke was sitting in his office, getting all the last minute preparations done for the conference trip. The group consisted of the Hyuga's, the Uzumaki's, the Nara's plus Sakura and himself along with all their children. Together they would all take the two hour long JR Tokaido Shinkansen train ride to Kyoto.

As he sent the paper work to be faxed, he received a knock on his door. His secretary had left for the day, leaving him alone on the floor. Sasuke walked over to the door with some papers in his hands. He opened the door and was greeted with green eyes and pink hair.

"Paper work again?" asked Sakura as she stepped into his office. Sasuke closed the door behind her.

"If I ignored all of it, we wouldn't be going on this trip," said Sasuke as he continued to skim through the papers. Sakura wasted no time in strolling over to Sasuke's rather luxurious black leather arm chair and taking a seat. Sasuke didn't seem to mind as he walked over to his library and pulled out a large book.

Over the course of the past two months, Sasuke and Sakura had developed a sort of system or routine at the hospital. They would try to have lunch together as often as possible; sometimes in his office and other times at a local restaurant. Much to Sasuke's dismay, however, they would end up going to Ichirakus's with Naruto.

But they spent every moment possible with each other, which wasn't very much considering both their schedules. But it just made the small amounts of time they did get to spend together better.

"How much preparation could one trip be?" asked Sakura. "You've booked the tickets, hotels, transportation and everything. What else is there?" she asked as she snuggled into her white coat. The temperature of his office seemed to match the 65 degree weather outside.

"Scheduling, confirmations, protocols, registries and other things I'm sure seem pointless on the outside," said Sasuke as he skimmed through the book. Sakura quirked her head to the side and read the title of the book out loud.

"Laws, Liability and Ethics?" said Sakura. "Preparing for trial?" she asked as she leaned forward and rested her cheek on her palm.

"Preparing for the possibility of lawsuits," said Sasuke as he took a seat on the edge of his desk. "It's a given that a lot of these doctors will be bringing their families with them, which includes their children. We're completely liable for their safety," he said.

Sakura looked up and drank in his appearance. She recently discovered that she liked the way Sasuke looked at the end of the work day.

His coat was off and hanging behind her on the chair. Sasuke's white shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, revealing his strong forearms and the impressive black metal watch he was wearing. His dark blue tie was loosened around the neck and the top button of that shirt was undone. His hair also seemed more "chicken-ish" in a way.

She became confused when she saw him smirk into the book.

"Like what you see?" asked Sasuke while not looking up from the book. Sakura's face fell from her palm. She straightened up with a small blush on her face. After all the mini make-out sessions they've had, you would think that she would stop with the blushing.

"Possibly," said Sakura as she pulled her coat closer to her body. "Why's is it so cold in here?" she said. Sasuke, still looking in his book, walked around his desk and took his coat from the back on the chair. He then placed it over Sakura, hoping that would help her.

Sakura, although pleased with the gesture, stood up from the chair and walked over to him. She took the book from his grasp and placed it back on his desk.

"You know," said Sakura as she hopped onto the desk. "You shouldn't be immersed in paper work after 4:00 PM . It's not part of your treatment plan," she said. Sasuke smirked and leaned into her, standing in between her legs.

"And that plan would be…what?" asked Sasuke as he placed his hands on the desk, trapping her in between. Sakura noticed that Sasuke was a particularly "dominant" type of person; he liked to trap her in corners with no means for escape.

Sakura smiled slyly and one second later, Sasuke's arms were around her followed by a strong hot kiss. Sakura couldn't help giggle at their antics. No one knew about their relationship, and as far as they were concerned, it was going to stay that way for a while. She felt like a teenager sneaking around with her boyfriend.

"Something funny?" asked Sasuke as his kisses moved to her cheeks. Sakura's arms just circled themselves around his torso loosely. She turned her head and pressed her lips against his. Her eyes closed, savoring the feeling of being thoroughly kissed.

She never imagined that she would be the type to make-out at work, much less with her own boss. But it added an element of excitement at the same time. It made her feel…adventurous again. After about one minute of being in his embrace, the temperature seemed to be steadily rising in the room.

Sasuke's kisses were becoming deeper and stronger. They were once again engaged in a battle for dominance as their tongues clashed with one another. The coat he placed on her slipped off onto the desk. Sakura's fingers subconsciously navigated their way into his hair. She moaned as his hands worked their magic on her back; the subtle massages and the transfer of heat from his hands into her cold back, made her sigh in his kisses.

"Sasuke," said Sakura breathlessly as his lips actually slid down to her neck. For the most part, he's been pretty G-rated with her as far as kissing goes; he never left her face. This was new territory. If he sensed her hesitancy with this new move, then he certainly didn't show it.

He continued with his kisses. She could feel his breath at the base of her neck as he gently sucked on the skin. The sensations that were phasing into her were making her lose her focus. It was amazing how he could do this to her so quickly.

In a sort of sinister way, Sasuke was becoming more…excited at the feel of her pulse under his lips. Sakura gasped when she actually felt his teeth scratch against the surface of her skin. For crying out loud, she didn't want any hickies.

"Sasuke, wait," said Sakura as she brought her hands to his face. Sasuke barely pulled away from her.

"What?" he asked heavily. He seemed kind of dazed, which was pretty flattering for Sakura. But still, he seemed ready to escalate things way too high for now.

"We…we have to-"she got cut off as he dove right in for another kiss. Sakura couldn't help but kiss right back. Another thing she noticed about them was that she was finding it harder and harder to pull away from him. She didn't know whether it was because of her growing affection for him, or because she just missed the feeling of being kissed. Three years is a long time to be without someone, especially for someone with a history like Sakura's.

Sasuke pushed his weight forward. Sakura leaned back onto the desk and didn't even notice the move until she felt her back come in contact with the hard surface. Alarm bells were ringing in Sakura's head telling her that once you get horizontal, it's time to quit. All warnings became cut off at the feel of his rock hard abs pressed against her. She needed to get herself under control; she had to pick up Sora soon.

Sasuke was thoroughly losing the sense that this was _his office_, and he's on top of one of _his doctors _on _his desk. _The sudden vibration of Sakura's pager in her coat pocket shocked them both out of their trance.

Sasuke lifted himself off her and tried to maintain his breathing. It was like he snapped back into reality. Sakura, who bolted up from the desk, checked the beeper and found the NICU's number on it. They only called her for emergencies. Sakura quickly hopped off the desk and straightened herself out. She was glad that beeper went off; otherwise she might not have been able to stop him.

"Wow... NICU, I...I have to go," she said as she brushed her hair with her fingers. She glanced at the clock: 4:30 PM.

"I'll pick him up," said Sasuke. Sakura looked back at him with surprised eyes. "Sora," said Sasuke. "I'll get him before I go pick up Suki," he said while running a hand through his nicely disheveled it. Sakura smiled at him before quickly kissing him once more.

"Thank you," she said before quickly walking to the door. She turned around once more and gave him one last appreciative smile before closing the door behind her.

As Sakura approached the elevators, she couldn't help but think about these past two months, and how much her life has changed already. She didn't even know if she should call Sasuke her "boyfriend", yet he was already a new major part of her life; Suki too.

But as she pushed the button in the elevator for the seventh floor, she remembered that she and Sasuke weren't the only ones with their hearts on the line. Their two beautiful children were first in line to get hurt of things turned out badly.

Sora and Suki had become closer in the past few weeks together. Sakura couldn't even imagine tearing them apart at this point. It would be like trying to separate twins. But she could only hope that things turned out for the better…with Sasuke by her side.

* * *

**JR Tokaido Shinkansen train station**:

Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, Hinata, Neji, Tenten, Ino, Shikamaru and their kids had arrived. The group had all assembled at the train station at approximately 8:00 AM that Friday morning. The children had special permission to miss school due to the circumstances.

Everyone was bunched up in sweaters and jackets due to the low temperatures outside. Tenten was especially bunched up, mostly because of Neji. It was obvious she was forced into wearing three jackets.

They boarded the train and got their luggage settled in. The kids sat next to each other, except for Akio, who was asleep in Ino's arms from the beginning.

"I can't wait until we get there," said Ino in hushed tones as she held Akio. "It's been a while since I've been in my flower shop,"

"I know," said Sakura. "I feel like it's been forever since I was in Kyoto, even though it's only been a few months. But I can't wait to see my dad again," she said. She was sitting across from Ino and wearing a long black winter coat over dark blue jeans and a white sweater.

Sakura looked around the compartment and smiled as she set her sight on the kids. It was still early in the morning, yet Sora, Suki and Akira were all energetic and happy. She knew that wouldn't last long. They'll all be asleep within the hour.

**Kyoto: 10:30 AM**

The train had finally stopped at the Kyoto train station. Everyone walked out and stretched for a bit.

Sasuke was holding onto a Suki, who was fast asleep on his shoulder. Sora had just woken up from his nap and was now rubbing his eyes to remain awake. Akio had remained asleep for the entire two hours and Shikamaru was holding onto Akira.

"Sweetie, were back in Kyoto," said Sakura as she bent down to finger brush his disheveled hair. Sora looked around the station with sleepy eyes. Deciding that he would rather sleep at the moment, Sora held out his arms for Sakura, who smiled and picked him up again after kissing his cheek.

"Okay, "said Sasuke to getting everyone's attention "Make sure you all have your things and follow me to the hotel vans," he said as he began walking to the parking lots. Once they all boarded the vans, they drove off to the hotel.

…20 minutes later….

The van had stopped at a gorgeous hotel called the "Hotel Granvia Kyoto" The hotel was absolutely beautiful with a contrast of Modern and Traditional aspects, not to mention, it looked extremely expensive.

Everyone got off the van and left their luggage to be dealt with by the hotel staff. Upon entering the building, Sasuke, still carrying a sleeping Suki, went to the front desk to get their room keys. The rest of the kids were just waking up at this point.

"Wow, look at all these people," said Naruto as he pointed to the crowd in the lounge. "I bet they're here for the conference," he said.

"I guess so," said Sakura. "I wonder who's here already," There were quite a few people that she was looking forward to seeing again. But she figured she might as well get adjusted first.

"Hey Sakura," said Tenten. "Weren't you supposed to stay with your dad?" She asked.

"Yeah, but in the end, I figured it would be easier to just stay here," said Sakura. "It would be less complicated, but Sora and I are going to see him tonight. His secretary told me he would be coming to the hotel tonight," she said. "Funny, because I never knew he had a secretary," said Sakura with a shrug.

Sasuke returned with the room keys and handed one to every couple. "We're on the 14th and 15th floors." He said. "I reserved the suits rather than the rooms," he said. He did that so the kids could have a place to play around.

Once they reached the floors, everyone parted ways to go to their separate rooms. Sasuke and Sakura happened to get their suits right next to each other.

"Suite 1412, that's us," said Sakura as she looked down at Sora. Sasuke was standing with her and Suki was just now waking up from her nap on his shoulder.

"Mmmmm," said Suki as she rubbed her eyes with her hands and yawned. "Daddy…" she said while looking around. Sasuke kissed her forehead and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"Hey Tenshi," he said. Suki looked next to her and saw Sakura there with Sora.

"Hi sweetie," said Sakura as she ran her fingers through Suki's sleep hair. She looked so adorable after a nap, just like Sora. "Okay then, I'll see you two later," she said as she and Sora entered their suite. Sasuke knew she would be seeing her father later tonight. What he didn't know was…did she want him to be there when he arrived?

"Are you hungry for some tomatoes?" asked Sasuke. Suki nodded her head as she and Sasuke entered their suite. Tomorrow would be a busy day for everyone. Saturday was when the meeting would begin, not to mention the Gala afterwards. Sasuke's parents were also going to be present tomorrow.

He only hoped that everything would run smoothly. As he set Suki down, he walked over to the balcony for some air. Thinking about everything tomorrow was stressing him out. He knew he should at least try to get some rest right now. There was a lot of tension in his neck, particularly around his tattoo.

Sasuke brought his hand over the area and massaged it somewhat. His mind tracked back to the days when he made the mistake of receiving this mark, and all the regrets that came with it. He was such a fool back in those days. But they were over now, and Sasuke wouldn't ever make those mistakes again. For he will always have a reminder of those times.

…_those three black coma marks…_

* * *

**CIA: Kakashi's Office. **

Kakashi turned the page in his novel. He was currently sitting in his office and ignoring the paper work on his desk for as long as he possible. He couldn't wait for tonight to come. He would finally get to see his daughter again.

The intercom went off. He had a visitor, and before he could allow them entrance, the doors burst open to reveal a tough looking woman with dark hair tied into a spiky ponytail, and along black trench coat similar to Kakashi's is style. She seemed to be in her late thirties.

Kakashi didn't even have to look up from his book to know who it was.

"You always have to make an entrance, don't you Anko?" said Kakashi as he turned the page again. Said woman smirked and closed the doors to his office. "I hear you're my new secretary as of now," he said indicating the phone call from Sakura that she picked up. Anko claimed that she was his secretary and told him about Sakura's plans for tonight.

"You know it," she said. "Anyway, if you'd draw your attention to anything but that raunchy book in your hands, you'd realize that you were due down in the training department over an hour ago," said Anko as she approached his desk. She was the proctor for the ANBU training division, and Kakashi was scheduled to supervise the new recruits.

"Well I suppose I lost track of tim-,"

"Save it," said Anko. "I know why you're always "fashionably," late," she said. "And you think I love to make entrances," she said as she took a seat on top of his desk. Even though Kakashi was the commander, Anko still treated him like any other person. She was comfortable to do and say whatever she wanted, even to her boss, and there was a reason for that.

Kakashi looked up from his novel as she sat on his desk. He had a great view of her body with her sitting right in front of him, trench coat open revealing a skin-tight, silvery-grey, mesh style body suit. The suit accentuated her upper body, which he couldn't seem to stop staring at the moment.

"I'm up here," said Anko as she directed her hand towards her face. However, Kakashi grabbed that hand and pulled her towards him, forcing her to fall right into his lap.

"And now you're down here," said Kakashi as he closed his book. Anko looked a little peeved at being caught off guard so easily. However, she didn't really mind her new spot on his lap. What she did mind though, was when Kakashi pulled part of her coat away to expose her neck. She could sense him stare intensely at the mark at the base of her neck.

"Does it hurt you at all?" he asked quietly as he eyed the mark. Anko turned her head back to him and shook her head.

"It's fine," she said distantly. "It's nice to have a reminder of the biggest mistake of my life," she added sarcastically as she tugged on her coat to cover up the black tattoo.

"He's dead now," said Kakashi. "It doesn't matter who killed him, so long as he's gone" he said as he took hold of her hand. Anko looked away from him and stared hard at her lap. She knew that bastard was dead, but she was pissed she wasn't the one to kill the psychopath that trained her to be an assassin. He was the sadist who placed that cursed tattoo onto her neck.

But someone else beat her to it. And the worst part is that she had no idea who it was. All she knew was that she was forever stuck with this "curse mark" as she liked to call it. The ink was pierced so deep into the skin that it was impossible to remove without permanent damage to the underlying muscle.

"I came here to get your lazy ass down to the training area," she said as she abruptly got out of his lap. "Not remember the past," she said as she hurriedly walked out of his office. Kakashi sighed as he got up to follow her.

He and Anko had something of a history going on. She was recruited into the CIA by Kakashi himself, back when he was a captain of the ANBU. He pretty much saved her after she was left to die by one of the most notorious criminals of the time, known as Orochimaru.

He was an Ex-CIA agent and a depraved "mad-scientist" who illegally experimented on humans. He ran an underground organization called "Sound". Needless to say, he was in the CIA Bingo Book as one of their most wanted criminals. However, someone had already saw fit to kill Orochimaru before the CIA got their hands on him.

This had Kakashi puzzled for the longest time. In the end, they figured it was mutiny from his minions at the Sound base; however Anko didn't seem to take that news too well. She saw it as her personal mission in life to destroy the man that placed this accursed mark upon her.

…_Those three black coma marks…_

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**Hello beautiful and forgiving reviewers! It's me! I finally updated after a whole blasted month. I have no excuses; I'm just extremely slow sometimes. **

**So here are the new agents: Shikamaru (I think all of you saw that one coming), Idate Morino (Ibiki's brother), and Anko. **

**So please review. I get like over 1000 hits per chapter and only 50 or so reviews, which is still pretty awesome. **


	17. Meeting of the Minds

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 17: Meeting of the Minds**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Kakashi's POV: **

It was around 6:00 PM and Kakashi had just finished getting ready for his dinner with Sakura and Sora. He was dressed in black slacks with a dark blue shirt underneath and his signature long black trench coat over it. He was really looking forward to seeing Sakura again. For someone as overprotective as Kakashi, he would have to _see_ her in order to be sure that she was okay. He would definitely know if something was wrong.

After making sure that the dogs were fed, he went to his security system and punched in the code before headed off for the Hotel Granvia. On the way over there, Kakashi thought back to the recent reports from the ANBU that he received.

_**Flashback: Kakashi's office. **_

_"I've scouted the Uchiha estate and concluded that there are no evident dangers there sir," said agent Morino through the screen. _

_"Good," said Kakashi. "Is that all?" he asked. _

_"Well it could be nothing Commander, however I did notice something particularly interesting while I was scouting," said Idate. "It appears as though the head of that household, one Sasuke Uchiha, was apparently aware of my presence," _

_"You were seen?" asked Kakashi as he leaned forward in his chair. _

_"No sir," said Idate. "I was perfectly concealed within the surrounding trees. It's nearly impossible for the untrained eye to notice from that distance. However I doubt that it was sheer luck that he was able to notice me. His body language was highly indicative of alert," said Idate. "And as for your other inquiry regarding his connection to…Cherry blossom, it appears they have a relationship beyond a professional level." said Idate. He almost forgot about the proper code name for her._

_"… Interesting," said Kakashi with narrowed eyes. "Even if he is the younger brother of Itachi Uchiha, that's still strange. I want to know more about this man that my daughter had been spending so much time with. Find out what you can about him…and don't tell Itachi," said Kakashi. _

_"Right sir," said Idate. _

_**End Flashback**_

Kakashi was very intrigued by the news, not to mention very concerned. His reports showed that Sakura and Sora had been spending quite a bit of time with the Uchiha's. Sasuke Uchiha was no stranger to Kakashi. Although they had never formally met, he knew about Sasuke through Itachi when he had first entered the CIA.

The Uchiha family was more involved in crime fighting than they knew. Their history could be traced back as a clan of police officers. That tradition stuck with them through the present day, as each generation of Uchiha's had at least one member as part of the CIA. Any non-agents in the family were clueless to this tradition themselves.

Kakashi was introduced to them when he was first recruited into the department. He met a recruit named Obito Uchiha, who was enrolled the same time he was. They quickly became friends, not to mention big time rivals while training under Minato Namikaze; a legend in the CIA for his natural skill and accomplishments.

Why were they rivals? Simple, they both had different views on training and teamwork, not to mention… they both had their hearts set on the same girl: Rin. Yes, Rin was also a member of the CIA. She worked in the CIA medical research center and was on her way towards becoming a great doctor under the wing of the Legendary Dr. Tsunade.

Obito knew the Rin's heart belonged to Kakashi, but he didn't let it get to him. He still did his missions with Kakashi and although they argued and fought most of the time, they still considered each other as friends.

Unfortunately, Obito was killed in action while Kakashi had severely injured his left eye on that same mission. Before Obito died, he requested that Kakashi take his eye as a sign of no hostility about Rin or anything else.

It was very interesting how much Obito was still a part of his life through his descendants.

Sighing, Kakashi checked the clock in his car radio and saw that it was almost 6:30 PM. Sakura said that dinner would be at 7:00. Feeling slightly proud for not being late for once, Kakashi speed up and stopped at the hotel entrance.

Sakura was the one person that he would never be late for.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

It was now Friday night, and Sakura was in her hotel room, busy trying to get ready for dinner with her father. She hadn't even gotten the chance to speak to him while making these plans. All messages were relayed to his secretary, who was still a mystery to Sakura.

Her father would be coming to the hotel tonight and they would be having dinner in one of the many hotel restaurants. Sakura was standing in front of the mirror and looking over her appearance. This was just dinner with her father for crying out loud, yet she was nervous about it.

But it was only because she wanted her father to know that she was okay. He was always incredibly protective of her, and it took a while before she convinced him to let her move to Kyoto. Sakura decided to wear a long black silk skirt and a red full hands top with a white cardigan over it. She also wore the ballet necklace her father gave to her. This wasn't going to be as formal as the Gala tomorrow night.

"Sora are you ready to go?" shouted Sakura as she combed her hair. "Grandpa's going to be here soon" she said. Sora would be joining them for dinner. He loved his grandfather; they had a special bond. Sakura finished brushing her hair and walked to Sora's room.

The suites were really luxurious and spacious. There were three rooms per suite. Golden yellow, white and black furniture and bedding was the theme of this suite, which was a nice contrast to the midnight blue of the sky, which could clearly be seen from the enormous balcony.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" asked Sakura as she stepped into his room. Sora was drawing on the table, fully dressed and ready to go.

"Uh huh," said Sora. "Look Mommy," He finished his drawing and held it up for Sakura to see. Sakura smiled. It was a picture of Sora and her father in ninja gear and jumping around in the air.

"Oh, is that for Grandpa?" asked Sakura. Sora nodded his head. "It's very good. I know he'll love it, but we have to go now. I'll bet he's here already and I still have to fix your hair" she said. Just then, the hotel phone rang. Sakura and Sora went to the living room and picked it up.

"Hello?" said Sakura as she held the phone in between her shoulder and her ear. She used her free hands to straighten out the kinks in Sora's rebellious hair.

"_Ms. Haruno, there's a gentleman here who claims to be your father with a dinner reservation at our restaurant_," said the attendant.

"I'll be right down. Thank you," said Sakura as she hung up. She turned to Sora and smiled again. "Ready?" she asked. Sora nodded and took her hand. He was dressed in little black cotton pants and a little green full sleeves cotton shirt with a jacket over it. Together, they left their suite and headed towards the elevators.

* * *

**Hotel Lobby: **

Kakashi was waiting in the lobby for Sakura and Sora to come down. The entire hotel was decorated for Christmas with massive decorated trees and ornaments adorned almost everywhere. He was sitting on one of the black fluffy love seats by the fireplace in the center of the grand lobby, and reading his new edition of Icha Icha Paradise.

Kakashi turned the page and tried to restrain a manly giggle at the contents. These books just got better and better with time. He was snapped out of that moment when he heard a voice call out to him from behind.

"Grandpa!" shouted Sora as he ran to his grandfather. Kakashi slammed the book shut and tucked it into his coat before getting up and turning to see his adorable grandson running towards him with a smile on his face.

"There's my little ninja man," said Kakashi as he bent down to pick him up. He tossed Sora into the air and caught him again, sending Sora into a fit of giggles. Kakashi looked back towards the elevators and saw Sakura speed walking towards them. Clearly she wasn't expecting Sora to bolt from the elevator. Kakashi smiled as he saw her beautiful smiling face.

Sakura speed up her walk into a short run as she followed Sora and ran right into Kakashi's embrace.

"Hi Daddy!" said Sakura as she squeezed the life out of him. Kakashi tried not to wince as Sakura held her death grip on him. He didn't quite know where she inherited this monstrous strength, but he blamed her mentor, Tsunade, for it.

"Sakura," said Kakashi as she pulled away. He placed his hand on the side of her face and kissed her forehead like he always would when she was younger. "I missed you so much," said Kakashi sadly as he looked at her face.

"I know, I missed you too," said Sakura. She looked up at her father with heartbroken eyes as she noticed how sad he sounded right then. "Sora missed you too, didn't you sweetie?" said Sakura as she looked at him.

"Yeah," said Sora. "I missed you too Grandpa," he said. Kakashi just chuckled at him.

"Well I missed you more," said Kakashi. "So do Pakkun and the other dogs. They can't wait to see you again Sora," he said. Sora looked excited about seeing the dogs again. "Have you gotten taller?" asked Kakashi as he eyed him up and down.

Sora nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah, I eat lots of tomatoes. So now I can be tall like you grandpa," said Sora. Kakashi smiled.

"Is that so?" asked Kakashi. "Well then, I guess we should go somewhere with tomatoes tonight," he said. "Shall we?" he asked while holding out his other arm for Sakura. She smiled and looped her arm with his and together the three of them walked to the hotel plaza.

* * *

**Ukihashi Restaurant: **

Kakashi, Sakura and Sora entered one of the Japanese restaurants called Ukihashi. The interior of the place was beautiful, with black granite and marble lining the floors and walls. Soft lighting gave this place and very elegant and modern look.

Kakashi went to the front desk and gave them his name. The hostess, who blushed at the sight of him, nodded and led them to their table which was located in the center of the restaurant. After they were seated, they were handed menus. They gave Sora a small coloring book and crayons to keep him occupied.

"Sora made something for you," said Sakura. Kakashi looked over at him and saw that Sora was holding onto a piece of paper. He handed it over and Kakashi saw that it was a drawing of the two of them.

"Well, this is very good. Thank you Sora," he said. "You're drawings are getting better each time,"

"It's in his blood," said Sakura quietly while smiling at her son. Kakashi looked back at his daughter. Her smile was cheerless. It wasn't the kind of smile he knew she was capable off, which meant that she was still hurting over losing Sai.

The waiter came back and asked for their orders. Kakashi and Sakura both ordered themselves a drink from the bar and a soda for Sora. They also ordered their entrées. While they were waiting for their orders, Kakashi and Sakura began talking about life.

"How's work?" asked Kakashi. "I assume you're doing just as well in Tokyo than you were here in Kyoto," he said.

"Everything's great," she answered. "I love the new hospital and Tokyo is just a great place to live. Sora's doing well in school and he's even taking a karate class,"

"I got a yellow belt," said Sora as he sipped on his soda. "Lee sensei said that I'm the best one in the class," he said proudly.

"Very good," said Kakashi. "Now you're this much closer to becoming a ninja," he said as he ruffled his hair. "Are you adjusting well?" asked Kakashi as he turned back to Sakura.

"Yes, I am," she said. "It's not like I don't know anybody there. I've got Neji and Tenten and Ino lives there too. She has twins if you can believe that. Both of them are Sora's friends. I've also met some new people since I've started working there. They're all great,"

"You're not homesick at all?" asked Kakashi with mock hurt in his voice. Sakura smiled and placed her hand over his.

"The only thing I've missed since I moved, is you," she said while smiling fondly at him. "Kyoto is where I grew up and I have so many memories here. It's not like I'll never come back you know,"

"Yeah…I know," said Kakashi. Of course she would come back. Her mother and husband were buried here after all. And deep down, Kakashi knew that that was probably the reason why she left in the first place. She couldn't stand all the painful memories of Kyoto.

"What about you?" asked Sakura. "How are you holding up?"

"Other than missing you, I'm fine," said Kakashi. "I'm not the only one that misses you, you know. I never hear the end of it from Tsunade and Shizune for letting you leave" he said. Sakura smiled thoughtfully at the mentioning of her mentors.

"I miss them too. But they should be here by now. I can't wait to see them again," she said. "But for now, I'm just glad I'm with you," she said while giving Kakashi one of her real smiles. Kakashi smiled as well.

Their orders arrived and the three of them began to eat their dinner. They kept small conversations going throughout the evening. Kakashi would ask about more about work and how Sakura was adjusting to the changes of Tokyo. He was actually waiting for her to mention a certain someone she's been seen with recently, but she seemed to steer clear of that direction.

She kept most of the focus on Sora. Sora seemed excited to share everything with Kakashi from all his new friends and teachers to his karate matches and drawings. He even brought his sketch pad to show all his new drawings.

After they finished their dessert, Sora claimed that he wanted to show his drawing to his grandfather. Sakura brought out his sketchpad from her purse while Kakashi placed his grandson on his lap, much like he would do to Sakura when she was younger.

"This one's a picture of my friend. His names Akio," said Sora as he pointed to the picture of a boy in the corner with little Z's floating in the air. "He likes to sleep a lot," he said. Kakashi flipped the page.

"Is this one of my dogs?" asked Kakashi.

"No," said Sora. "It's Akamaru, he's my friend Jun's dog," he said as he flipped the page over. Kakashi's eyes widened a fraction at this next picture or a figure with shiny black hair and exaggerated eyebrows dressed in all green clothes with a sunset behind him.

"This is Lee sensei," said Sora. Kakashi tried hard not to bust out laughing at the picture. It looked like an exaggerated version of Guy. The sunset in the background was a nice touch. Kakashi flipped the page again.

Sakura sat opposite of her two favorite men as they bonded. Seeing them laughing and smiling was all that it took to bring a smile onto her face. Sora loved playing with his grandfather and Kakashi loved bonding with his grandson. It was times like these when Sakura felt the most content.

"And what have we here?" asked Kakashi as he took in the picture. It was a picture of four people standing together in front of a house. Sakura couldn't see the picture since she was sitting in the opposite direction.

"That's me and Suki and Mommy and Sasuke," said Sora. Sakura straightened when she heard him say that.

"What?" she asked. Kakashi studied the figures more closely. Sakura was obviously the figure with the pink hair, but the other two people looked very much alike.

"Suki and Sasuke?" asked Kakashi. "Who are they?" he asked innocently to Sora.

"This one is Suki. She's standing next to me…" said Sora as he pointed to the drawing. "…and Sasuke's standing next to Mommy," he said as he looked up at Kakashi. "He's Suki's daddy," he added. Kakashi took one last glance at the picture before looking up at Sakura.

"Can I see that?" asked Sakura. Kakashi handed her the sketchpad. Sakura looked over the drawing. Indeed, it looked like Sora drew a picture of his family standing outside their house. And what's more, Sora drew Sasuke and Sakura holding hands. "_Oh no_," she thought exasperatedly. She knew her father would have something to say about this later, and she wasn't looking forward to hearing it. It was why she was so careful not to mention anything about Sasuke.

Kakashi studied her face. She was definitely surprised, that was for sure. Judging by that drawing itself, Kakashi had all the information he needed from Sakura to confirm his suspicions about her relationship with the younger Uchiha brother.

The waiter came back with their check. Sakura and Sora got up to go to the bathroom while Kakashi pulled out his wallet to pay for the bill. As soon as Sakura and Sora were out of sight, their empty seats were replaced with two familiar faces.

"What's up Kakashi Sensei?" said Naruto as he plopped himself down with a beer in one hand and a bowl of ramen in the other.

"Kakashi," said Neji as he took a seat next to Naruto. He was also holding a beer in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other.

"Good to see you two. And Naruto, I'm no longer your sensei" said Kakashi. "You have about two minutes to disperse until Sakura comes back," he said while leaning back in his seat and pulling out his precious Icha Icha paradise book.

"I see you'd take advantage of that time," said Naruto sarcastically at the sight of that oh so familiar book.

"We could meet later in one of the lounges. I'm sure we all have things to take care of for the time being," said Neji while glancing at the brown paper bag. It suspiciously smelled like tuna mixed with some sort of Ketchup.

"I'll see you then," said Kakashi. Neji and Naruto nodded and left the table. Sakura and Sora returned soon after. Together, the three of them got up and walked towards the exit.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: 7:00 PM**

Fugaku and Mikoto had arrived at the hotel shortly after the rest of the group did. They would be sharing a suite with Sasuke and Suki, which was fine since the suites were more than big enough for all of them.

Fugaku was sitting in the living room and reading a newspaper while Suki and Mikoto were in Suki's room and getting ready for dinner. Sasuke decided to take a seat in the living room with his father. He was already dressed and there was nothing more to do than wait for Suki. Since talking to his father wasn't an option, Sasuke grabbed the rest of the newspaper from the coffee table and began to read it.

The article he picked up immediately caught his interest.

_The strange string of disappearances over the course of the last couple of months has forced police into a corner. Several people of all ages have been mysteriously disappearing without any hint of their whereabouts. Police are trying to find any evidence of a connection between all the missing persons for the possibility of a serial killer to be placed at the top of their list. However, due to the diversity of the missing group, and the lack of dead bodies, the chances of there being a serial killer appear to be slim._

_Police are determined to find the cause of these strange occurrences and have thus far, made no real findings. A public warning had been announced as of last night to be on the lookout for any activity that might seem strange or out of the ordinary. Extreme caution is advised…_

"Daddy let's go!" said Suki as she came bouncing into the living room. Sasuke placed the paper down and faced his daughter. He knew that three hour nap would give her extra energy tonight. She was wearing a cute little green dress that complimented her eyes and a white jacket over it. She was also wearing the necklace Sakura gave her. Sasuke noticed that she wore that thing everywhere she went. She was also wearing the bracelet Itachi have her too.

"Ready to go princess?" asked Fugaku as he placed his paper down as well. Suki nodded and walked over to her grandfather. Fugaku patted her head and got up from his seat. "Okay then. We have reservations at the Ukihashi Restaurant. It supposed to be the finest Japanese cuisine in Kyoto. Let's see if they're right,"

"Where's Itachi?" asked Mikoto as she stepped into the room. "He was supposed to be here an hour ago," she said as she checked her watch.

"Well it's too late for him now. He'll probably join us later if he shows up," said Fugaku. "Let's go," he said. The four of them left their suite with Mikoto on Fugaku's arm and Suki holding onto Sasuke's hand.

When they got to the ground floor, they made their way over to the front desk so that Sasuke could get the census for his hospitals that have already arrived.

"Konoha Medical Conference Census," said Sasuke as the attendant looked through the computer. While he was waiting he noticed that a new group of people had just arrived next to him.

"Well well well, if it isn't Sasuke Uchiha," said a woman with spiky blond hair tied into an array of ponytails. She was a strong looking woman with dark eyes and a tough personality to match. She was dressed in a designer business suite with black fishnet stockings and matching shoes. She was also carrying a matching fan with her.

"Temari," said Sasuke as her gave her a nod. He looked behind her and saw that she wasn't alone.

"Hey Sasuke," said a tall man with spiky brown hair. He was holding onto a large black trunk, probably his presentation materials. There were also a series of strange tattoos around his face.

"Kankuro," said Sasuke with a nod to the man as well. Last but not least, there was the red headed man standing in between them. He was slightly shorter than Kankuro, but much more intimidating in appearance.

"Uchiha," said the man. His voice was low in tone, with power laced in every word.

"Gaara," said Sasuke. He had pale complexion with aqua colored eyes surrounded by dark circles. Sasuke couldn't even be called a workaholic compared to this man. Those dark circles were signs of Insomnia. He was never known for taking a break. It was all about work for him. He was also sporting a tattoo on the top left corner of his forehead with the kanji symbol "Love" in red ink.

You would never think that these three people would be the representatives from their competing hospital. And you would never guess that the intimidating man in the dark blood red business coat would be in charge of it all.

Sabaku no Gaara…Sunagakure Hospital's CEO.

"So your group just now arrived?" asked Sasuke as he took the census from the receptionist.

"Yeah," said Kankuro. "What's the rush when we live right here in the city? Your whole gang here as well?" he asked. Sasuke nodded.

"Well this ought to fun," said Temari with a smirk as she finished filling out the registry. "Your crew sure is amusing. Especially that Naruto," she said.

"Hn," said Sasuke.

"Where's Sakura?" asked Gaara. Sasuke eye snapped towards Gaara's in an instant. Gaara was just giving him that blank look of his, silently demanding an answer. It was only then that Sasuke remembered that Sakura used to work in their hospital before moving here.

"She's here," said Sasuke while standing straighter. "…having dinner with her father," he said while looking pointedly at the red headed man.

Gaara just continued to give him that blank stare. His eyes traveled downward as he heard small hurried footsteps approaching them. He saw a small girl run up to the Uchiha and grasp onto his leg.

"Daddy Daddy Daddy, let's go!" said Suki as she looked up at Sasuke. Fugaku and Mikoto had also joined them at the front desk. They both nodded at the Sunagakure executives in greeting.

"Good evening you three," said Fugaku. "I heard your father could not attend this year,"

"Unfortunately no," said Temari in a much more business tone. "He has other business to attend to," she said. Her eyes caught sight of the little girl clinging onto her father's leg. "Why hello there Suki," she said.

Suki looked up at Temari. "How did you know that's my name?" she asked innocently. Temari smirked.

"It's on your pretty bracelet," she said while pointing to Suki's wrist. Suki giggled. She quickly stopped giggling when she saw Gaara. He was staring at her to the point where Suki became frightened and clung onto Sasuke's leg even tighter. She then tried to hide herself behind him. Kankuro snickered at the girls antics. Gaara did tend to be scary at times but he wasn't a bad guy.

Sasuke, aware of Suki's fear, cleared his throat. "Well, if you'd excuse us, we have dinner reservations," he said.

"Give Sakura my regards," said Gaara as he looked back up at Sasuke. Sasuke barely nodded before picking up Suki and walking in the opposite direction with Fugaku and Mikoto right behind them.

Gaara watched them leave. He was more focused on that little girl. Her eyes reminded him of a certain pink haired doctor that he was looking forward to seeing again very soon.

* * *

**Itachi's POV: **

Itachi had just stepped into the hotel and barely caught sight of his family walking towards the hotel plaza. He was dressed in the usual getup with a black shirt and pants along with his black leather trench coat. He was also carrying his luggage and other bags along with him.

He walked towards the front desk, only to see that the executives from Sunagakure Hospital were already there.

"Oh sir, we have attendants that can see to your bags," said the receptionist when she spotted his luggage.

"I've got it," said Itachi. He didn't trust the bell boy as far as he could throw him…which would be pretty far, considering how skinny the guy was but still. "Reservation Uchiha," he said. The receptionist clicked on her computer and searched the files.

"Itachi Uchiha," said Kankuro. "I didn't know you'd be showing up, although I'm sure it's not for this conference," he said as Itachi glanced sideways at them.

"Hn," said Itachi. "I would think you'd be more informed," The receptionist gave Itachi as well as Temari their room keys.

"See you at the Gala tomorrow night Itachi," said Temari. "Looking forward to seeing you in a Tux," she said as she and her brothers headed towards the elevators. Itachi waited a while longer in the lobby for a certain someone to show up at this designated time.

The elevators chimed and out stepped a yawning Shikamaru. He caught Itachi's eyes and motioned for him to follow him. Itachi headed towards the elevators, where new attendants, a.k.a undercover agents disguised at attendants, came and took Itachi's luggage.

"About time you got here," said Shikamaru as he and Itachi headed over towards the plaza. "Just be glad my troublesome wife loves to shop,"

"You've been informed of the new assignment I take it," said Itachi as he and Shikamaru walked through the busy atmosphere. The place was full of guests roaming around the Christmas atmosphere.

"Yeah, now I have a cold case file among the many other troublesome things I've got to do. It's such a drag," said Shikamaru as he pulled out a cigarette and light it up. He and Itachi made a turn into a bar called the Orbite. They had quite a bit to discuss for the time being.

* * *

**Ukihashi Restaurant: 8:00 PM**

The Uchiha family was just about finished with their dinner. Suki was finishing off her cupcake while Sasuke and his parents discussed tomorrows conference.

"Daddy look, its Aunty Sakura," said Suki as she pointed to the crowd. Sasuke, as well as his parents, turned their heads in that direction and sure enough, there she was. She was walking towards the exit, but she would have to pass them first. She was walking with Sora and a tall, mysterious looking man in a black trench coat.

They were about to pass the Uchiha table when Suki called out to them.

"Sora, Aunty Sakura!" shouted Suki. The two turned their heads towards Suki's voice. Sakura's eyes widened before she smiled and waved at them hesitantly.

"Oh…hi sweetie," said Sakura as she and Sora and her father walked up to the table. Sasuke stood up from the table to greet them. He was well aware that the man behind them was her father. Sasuke's parents stood up as well.

"I didn't know you'd be here," said Sakura while looking at Sasuke. She looked a little panicked. She quickly glanced at his parents before looking at Suki and giving her a smile. Sakura noticed that Sasuke was looking at her father. "Oh, uh…" she moved so that she could pull Kakashi forward.

Sasuke stretched his hand forward. "Sasuke Uchiha…Sakura's…CEO," he said. The last part sounded kind of stupid, but it made him think about what he really allowed to call himself. Kakashi firmly took his hand.

"Kakashi Hatake," he said. "Sakura's father," he added with an authoritative voice that could rival Sasuke's. "And Sora's grandfather," he added.

Sasuke nodded and noticed that Kakashi had increased the pressure on his hand somewhat. Sasuke held on with equal pressure to show that he was not intimidated whatsoever. They let go, but Kakashi kept his gaze on the younger Uchiha brother.

Words could not describe what was going through his mind right now. This man looked so much like Sai. Sure there were a few subtle differences, but overall, it was really amazing. So this is the man that Sakura and Sora have been spending so much time with?

Kakashi turned to Fugaku and Mikoto and nodded his head. He then turned his gaze to the little girl who was now standing next to Sora.

"And what's your name?" asked Kakashi as he bent his neck down. Again, Kakashi was speechless when he got a good look at the adorable little girl.

"My name is Suki" she said while smiling at him. Kakashi looked into those big beautiful green eyes of hers and felt like he was blasted into the past. She looked just like Sakura when she was five years old. What's more, she also looked like she could be Sora's twin sister.

"Suki…that's a beautiful name," said Kakashi. Suki giggled. Fugaku and Mikoto were eyeing Kakashi strangely. He seemed pretty young to be Sakura's father. That scar going across his left eye only added to their curiosity. Kakashi sensed them staring and looked up at them.

These were Obito's family members. Obviously, the Uchiha family had some very strong physical traits; dark hair and fair skin. They looked over at Sakura.

"You must be Sakura," said Mikoto. Sakura's eyes snapped in Mikoto's direction.

"Yes, I am. It's nice to meet you Mrs. Uchiha," said Sakura.

"Mikoto," she said. "No need for formalities," she said.

Mikoto smiled and then looked down at Sora. The little boy looked so much like Sasuke that Mikoto couldn't help but smile fondly at him. He looked so adorable standing there and innocently holding onto his mother's hand. Sasuke used to hold her hand like that when he was younger.

"This is Dr. Haruno, the new head of Obstetrics," said Sasuke to his father. His father nodded in understanding.

"Dr. Haruno," said Fugaku. "It's nice to have a doctor with a reputation like yours. Tsunade doesn't teach just anybody," he said.

"No she doesn't," said Kakashi proudly.

"Well it was nice meeting you all," said Sakura. "We don't want to keep you're from your dinner any longer," she said. She looked at Sasuke once more before turning around and walking out of the restaurant with Sora. Kakashi gave Sasuke a final look before walking out as well. Sasuke saw that it was more calculating than anything else.

Another thought popped into his head as they were leaving: Gaara. Even though Sakura used to work for him, Sasuke still had an unsettling feeling about her association with the man. They were obviously familiar with each other otherwise Gaara wouldn't have referred to her so informally.

It was just something Sasuke would have to ask about later.

* * *

**Back in Sakura's Suite...**

When they got back to the suite, Sora immediately went to his room to get the rest of his drawings to show his grandfather. Sakura and Kakashi went into the living room and sat down on the big cushy sofa.

"So that was your boss?" asked Kakashi. "Seems pretty young to me," he noted as he leaning back into the sofa.

"Like how you seem kind of young to be my father, let alone a grandfather" she noted, tucking her feet underneath her. Kakashi chuckled.

"Touché Dr. Sakura," he said. Sakura smiled when he called her that. Out of the many nicknames her father gave her, "Dr. Sakura" was always her favorite. Sora ran back into the living room with his sketch pads.

"Are you going to show him everything?" asked Sakura. Sora nodded and tossed his sketchpads onto the couch. He then climbed on top and sat in between Kakashi and Sakura. He began to flip through the drawing and explain them again.

This went on for about an hour or so. Kakashi thoroughly enjoyed spending some time with Sora. The boy was so artistically talented. Looking at Sora just reminded Kakashi of Sai. Sora truly was Sai's son. Thinking back to the years when Sai was "protecting" Sakura and all the conflict that occurred, Kakashi was glad that most things turned out for the better. If it wasn't for Sai, he wouldn't have his precious grandson.

But there was still Sakura. While Sora was explaining his drawings, Kakashi kept glancing at Sakura from time to time. He could clearly see how much she was hurting as her son went on about his drawings. He could only imagine what went through her mind every time her son did something reminiscent of his father.

"Okay Sora," said Sakura. "It's time for you to brush your teeth and go to bed," It was almost 10:30 PM and Sora needed some proper rest.

"But I want to stay with Grandpa," he sulked. Kakashi ruffled his hair and Sakura sighed.

"I'll still be here before you go to bed," said Kakashi. "Now go do what Mommy says," he said. Sora pouted and gave Kakashi a hug. Then he climbed down the couch, pausing to let his mother kiss his forehead before he walked past her to his room.

She watched him leave before turning back to her father. Kakashi patted the space on the couch next to him and Sakura scooted closer until she was snuggling next to him. Kakashi placed his arm over her and kissed the top of her head.

"I really did miss you," said Sakura. Kakashi tightened his hold around her.

"I know, but I've missed you more than that," he lamented. "You've come a long way in such a short amount of time. I'm proud of you," he said, making her smile.

"Are you coming to the Gala tomorrow night?" she asked. "Cocktail hour's at six. You could even bring a guest if want. Maybe that mysterious secretary you suddenly hired?" she asked while giving him a knowing look.

Kakashi blinked a few times before picturing Anko in a formal evening gown. He found that he couldn't do it. Anko? In a dress? It was just too impossible to put together. However it did sound fun to see her try it.

"A guest huh?" he asked. "I just might do that, but you have to promise me at least one father-daughter dance," he said, hugging her closer. Sakura chuckled.

"Of course," she said. "I can promise you more than one dance. After all…" she said while bringing her head up to look at him. "…you kind of owe me a father-daughter dance," she said quietly. Kakashi looked into her eyes and felt that familiar pang of guilt running through his system. He knew what she was talking about.

Sakura's features suddenly became somewhat gloomy as she sat up straight on the couch. She looked down at her fingers and tried to compose herself, but she was failing. She shouldn't have brought it up. Kakashi placed his hand on the side of her face and pulled it up. He saw that she was near tears and was trying to hold them back, but they suddenly came rolling down her face.

"Sakura," he said. She quickly tried to wipe the tears away, but they wouldn't stop coming.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying," she said. "I didn't mean to… bring that up," she said sniffling. Kakashi tried to wipe the tear away but Sakura quickly got up from the couch and strolled over to towards the coffee table where the tissues were.

"Sakura, I don't know what to say about that," said Kakashi as he got up and followed her. Sakura grabbed a few tissues and furiously dabbed her eyes.

"You don't have to say anything," she said. "I know you've come around since then but still," she said. "I just still can't believe you didn't come to my wedding," she said as more tears rolled down her face. "I'm sorry. I don't know why this is coming up now of all times,"

"I was there," said Kakashi. Sakura wiped her tears and looked up at him.

"No you weren't," she said.

"Yes I was," he said. "You didn't see me, but I was there," he said. Sakura still looked like she didn't believe him. "I may not have approved of your relationship with Sai, but I wouldn't have missed your wedding for anything," said Kakashi as he grabbed her shoulders. Sakura dabbed her eyes again. "It was by the lake near the old cherry blossom tree. I was there; I saw you get married,"

She stared into his eyes, willing herself to believe him. "I know how much you loved him," Kakashi continued. "I know that now but I have to ask: Sasuke... is he…"

"Don't," said Sakura firmly. "Don't even go there," she said, pulling away from him. "I know what you're going to say,"

"He looks so much-"

"Don't you think I know that?" she asked. "I know he looks like Sai, but that's not why I'm with him,"

"So you are together?" asked Kakashi with slightly narrowed eyes. He saw her expression darken when she realized her slip.

"We're trying I guess…I don't know," she said frustratingly while running her hands through her hair. "But believe me when I say that I'm NOT confusing him as Sai. I know that's what you're thinking," she said.

Kakashi said nothing as he watched her fold her arms across her chest. He didn't quite know what to make of Itachi's younger brother, but this turn of events wasn't helping. It was natural for an overprotective father to despise the other man in his daughter's life. Sasuke's no different, although there was just something about him that seemed strange. It was a feeling that Kakashi had when he met him down at the restaurant.

"Sora obviously has a certain impression of Sasuke," he noted, thinking back to Sora's drawing. "What do you think about this?" he asked. It was one thing for Sakura to be confused, but Sora was another matter altogether.

"Sora knows that Sasuke isn't his father. I made that very clear to him," she said. "I'll never let him forget Sai," Kakashi sighed.

"It's past the point where I can tell you what to do," said Kakashi. "You may be a grown woman but you're still my daughter Sakura. I don't want to see you or Sora get hurt again," he said gently.

"I know," she said. "I'm sorry; I don't know why I just flared up like that,"

"It's okay," said Kakashi. He walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. "I'm just looking out for you both" he said. Sakura wiped her tears and gave a small smile.

"I know you are," said Sakura. "But you've got to stop analyzing every detail of my life like I'm some sort of victim here," she said. "I'm not a victim. I'm fine. And please don't get on my case about Sasuke," she pleaded. "I need for you to just back off of him,"

Kakashi didn't say anything since he wasn't planning on complying with that. What he _did _do was pull her into another hug. A part of him knew that the pain of Sai's death will always be there for her. Kakashi was never fond of the idea of sharing Sakura with anyone, and the fact that she fell so hard for Sai made him realize that he couldn't keep her to himself, no matter how hard he tried.

"You should go and rest," said Kakashi. "I'll be here tomorrow night for the Gala," he said. Sakura nodded as she pulled away from him.

"You should say goodnight to Sora. I'm sure he's waiting for you," she said. He nodded and went to find his grandson. When he was gone, Sakura went to the nearest trash can and threw away her tissues. Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair, all the while thinking about how she wanted things to turn out with Sasuke.

He's so good to her, and she loved Suki as if she were her own daughter. But she had to be fair with him. No more uncertainties and no more second guessing. She was in this for real now.

* * *

**Balcony...**

It was almost midnight and Sasuke found himself standing outside on the balcony, waiting for Sakura to show up. She had called him only a few minutes ago and asked him to meet her here. Whatever she had on her mind must have been important. Sasuke looked up at the moon and leaned against the railing of the rather large balcony. He heard the doors open turned to see Sakura slowly walking up to him.

"Hi," said Sakura as she stood next to him. "I'll make this quick," she said. Sasuke straightened himself and looked down at her. "I like you," she said while looking him in the eye. Sasuke raised his brow, but said nothing. Sakura continued. "I like you for _you_," she said, fidgeting "Not because of your similarities to Sai,"

Sasuke continued looking at her. "Are you trying to convince me, or you?" he asked. Sakura almost glared at him for saying that.

"I don't need convincing!" she said with a raised voice. "I need for you to tell me if that statement bothered you at all. Don't you have any uncertainties about me?" she asked almost desperately. "Doesn't that fact that I just asked you to come out here in the cold to tell you that, bother you at all?"

"Should it?" he asked. Sakura sighed. Why'd he have to be so unemotional? Why couldn't he be passionate about his feelings and just tell her if it bothered him? Why did the moonlight make him look so yummy? Sakura mentally slapped herself. This was serious stuff here. Focus!

"I think it should on some normal level," she replied. "When I told you the first time, you took me out to lunch. That's not normal, that's suppressing your feelings. It might be why you have pre-hypertension, among other things," she added. "But that's beside the point. Do you like me?"

Sasuke sighed. Not this again. "Sakura,"

"Yes or no?" she pressed.

"Hn," he said.

"Oh for crying out loud," she hissed, turning to the railing. Sasuke smirked. Why was it so amusing to see her get so worked up? Sasuke could see her breath from the cold night's air. It looked like it would be snowing soon. "You Hn me? What does that mean in your world?" she asked.

"It means you're annoying," he answered. "It means you're aggressive, violent, short tempered, nosy, controlling and demanding," he said walking up behind her. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to turn around and look him in the eye. "It means you make my daughter smile," he added gently. Sakura's features visibly softened when he said that. "And when she smiles...," he said while pulling her closer "...my world is better. You make my world better," he said. Sakura's eyes watered a little.

"But what about-" warm lips forcefully covering her own stopped her from completing her sentence. Sakura enthusiastically responded and locked her arms around his neck. Any train of thought she had before was now lost into his kiss. Her freezing body absorbed his heat as his hands roamed around her back, locking her in place against him. Sasuke broke the kiss and bent his neck down to place his forehead on hers.

"You talk too much," said Sasuke. Sakura lightly chuckled. They were still locked in a tight embrace, their frozen breaths mingling together in the moonlight. "I've told you before, the past doesn't matter to me," he said. "I've made my intentions clear; I want to be with you," he said. Sakura nodded and rested her head against his chest. Sasuke rested his chin above her head and held her close.

He'll admit that it bothered him when he found out that he looked like her husband, but it didn't matter anymore. So long as she knew that he was his own person, and that she loved Suki as much as he did, he was fine. He couldn't get enough of this woman. With each passing day he found himself more and more attracted to her. Sasuke also noticed that the bond between Suki and Sora was also growing. He knew Suki was referring to him as her brother, and that was just fine with him.

Sora's a good boy, and a protective one at that. Judging from the way he felt about his mother, Sora would also make one very protective brother to Suki.

Sasuke smirked at the thought of Suki having a brother. That ultimately meant that he would have to marry Sakura...and right now, that seemed like a really good idea. But he wouldn't say anything; not yet. It was too soon and she needed more time, but he would wait for her.

"I should get back to Sora," she said, lifting her head up. She placed her hand on the side of his face. "I really do care about you," she said. "Even if you do have speech issues," She smiled at Sasuke's glare and stood on her toes to give him a quick kiss. As she tried to pull away, Sasuke kept her in place by holding the side of her head against his. He didn't want her to leave just yet.

"Sasuke...I...have to...go to...Sora," she said giggling in between kisses. She didn't really want to leave him either; his kisses were addicting. But she left Sora alone in the suite and she needed to get back to him, in case he woke up. Sasuke stopped kissing her but he still didn't let her out of his hold. He gazed at her face, noticing that her cheeks were pink with cold.

Sakura saw him looking at her with an expression that could almost pass for soft. This was so surreal for her, and that was why she had so many doubts before. This didn't feel like reality...and that's all she had been living with for the longest time; the harsh reality of life. Working as a full time doctor while raising a son on her own was no easy task, and being with Sasuke just felt like being in a dream that she was afraid to wake up from.

But she acknowledged that the feelings she had every time she was with Sasuke was no dream. _This_ was her reality now. She found a man that was willing to accept her and her son into his home and treat as his own. Just look at the impression he made on Sora. Her boy had someone to look up to now, and that made her happy; _He_ makes her happy.

"I'll walk you back," said Sasuke. They left the balcony and walked back into the warmth of the halls. They reached their adjacent suites and turned to face each other.

"Well, give Suki a good night kiss for me," said Sakura as she placed her hand on the door knob. Sasuke smirked and pulled her away from the door. He kissed her softly and pulled back, smirking again at the blush on her face.

"I will," he said as he turned around to walk back to his suite. Sakura couldn't help but let her gaze travel from the back of his head down to the back of his pants. She shook her head and mentally slapped herself again for getting distracted. She was just staring at his ass, which only increased the blush on her cheeks. She opened the door quickly and got inside before her whole face turned pink. She needed a shower, now.

* * *

**Later that night...**

Sakura was sitting comfortably in her bed and reading through her conference reports for tomorrow. She felt pretty confident about her reports but just wanted to get the entire thing in her head. It was around midnight by now, and she really needed to get some sleep. Sakura closed her reports and placed them on the nightstand.

"Mommy," said Sora. Sakura looked and saw Sora standing in the doorway in his pajamas. "I can't sleep anymore," he said. Sakura smiled and pulled the covers open.

"Come here then," she said. Sora smiled and climbed into bed with her. She should have known that he wouldn't have been able to sleep with that gigantic nap he took today. Sakura pulled the covers over him and held him close to her. She kissed his head as he snuggled into her embrace. She then began to run her fingers through his hair, the way she always did when he was fussy.

"Look at the stars Sora," said Sakura. You could clearly see the night's sky through the large glass doors of the balcony. Sora looked up at the sky. There was a beautiful white moon surrounded by thousands of stars against the royal blue sky.

"You know," said Sakura. "When you were in my tummy, you used to kick me a lot whenever I tried to go to sleep," Sora giggled.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes, you would," she said while chuckling herself. "But then your Daddy would hold me and we'd look at the stars together. You would stop kicking me and go to sleep. That's why we named you Sora, because it means 'Sky',"

Sora didn't say anything. He was too preoccupied with the stars. Slowly but surely, his eyes started to close from the soothing sensations of Sakura's hands. She continued to massage his head until she was sure he was asleep. She then carefully tucked him into her bed, making sure he wouldn't roll off the edge. She smiled at his adorable baby face. She didn't know how she would have moved on without Sora.

"Goodnight my baby," whispered Sakura as she gently kissed his cheek. She turned the lamp off and settled into her bed. Tomorrow morning was going to a busy day. She was going to need all her rest.

* * *

**Orbite Bar and Lounge: **

"So Neji," said Kakashi as he and the rest of the gang sat around the bar. "I hear you and Tenten are expecting triplets. Congratulations…and good luck," he said while sipping his bear and reading his little orange book.

Neji only grunted a thank you to him. Truth be told, he was completely tired out from Tenten's demands. The mystery bag from earlier was one of her favorite cravings, and it was making him sick. But who was he to deny his pregnant hormonal wife? The woman was good with sharp pointy objects, and Neji didn't want to get on her bad side.

"Yeah I can't believe I'm going to be an Uncle," said Naruto.

"You're already an Uncle," Shikamaru pointed out as he slouched in his seat and puffed his cigarette. He blew it past Gaara, who was sitting opposite him. He didn't seem to mind. Kankuro was present as well.

"Oh…right," said Naruto as he scratched his head sheepishly. "Hey I thought you quit smoking," he said, pointing at him. Shikamaru said nothing as he leaned back and blew out the smoke again.

"Let's get down to business," said Shikamaru. "It's only a matter of time before I get a troublesome call from Ino,"

"Starting without me? I'm hurt" came a strong deep voice from behind Naruto. Everyone turned around and saw a big man with a huge main of white spiky hair with strange red tattoo marks on his face. He placed his hand on top of Naruto's head and ruffled up his spiky blond hair as if he were a child. Kakashi spared a glance from his novel to direct his attention to none other than the author of his precious book.

"Jiraya…good to see you again," Kakashi greeted.

"What are you doing here you perv?" asked Naruto as he tried to repair the damage to his hair. His attempt failed as Jiraya saw fit to smack his head over the side.

"I told you to stop calling me that!" said Jiraya as he took the empty seat next to Kakashi. "Anyway, what's up with you?" he asked to Naruto. "I thought I'd have some great grandchildren by now, but it looks like Neji beat you to that too. Didn't you learn anything from my books?" he asked.

Naruto was blushing furiously while everyone else snickered in their seats. Jiraya was like a father figure to Naruto. He was the sensei to Naruto's father, who happened to be none other than Kakashi's Sensei, Minato Namikaze. The world was getting smaller every day.

"Let's begin now," said Gaara. "I don't have all day," he added with his arms crossed.

"Well said Gaara," said Kakashi. "Now, before we begin, I have something to ask you all," he said. Everyone gave them their attention as Kakashi placed his book back into his coat pocket.

"Sasuke Uchiha...what's the deal with him?" he asked as he leaned forward on the table. He was met with several raised eyebrows and questioning stares. This was going to take a while.

* * *

**Conference: **

It was now 7:45 in the morning and Sakura had just dropped off Sora at Ino's suite. According to the schedule, breakfast will be served until 8:30 and then the conference will begin at 9:00. Sakura walked towards the elevators. She was dressed in a form fitting knee length black silk skirt with matching stilettos and a deep green silk blouse that complimented her eyes nicely. It was also required that she wear her white doctors coat with her ID on as well.

Once she got closer to the elevators, she saw a certain someone waiting there as well. Smiling, Sakura casually walked over and stood next to him.

"Mr. Uchiha," she greeted with smile.

"Dr. Haruno," said Sasuke. He was dressed in a stylish black suit with a blue shirt and black tie. His hair was sleek and shiny looking too. Sakura briefly wondered what kind of shampoo he used to get those results.

From the side of his eyes, Sasuke gave her a quick glance and immediately noticed the skirt, where her oh so tempting legs were there for the world to see. He briefly thought about telling her to go back and put some pants on.

"Where's Suki?" asked Sakura. "Did she manage to get any sleep last night?"

"She's still sleeping," said Sasuke. "That three hour nap gave her too much energy last night," he said. Sakura laughed.

"Sora too," she said. "But I guess it's better for them to rest now before the Gala tonight," she said. The elevators opened and the two of them walked inside. Sasuke pushed the ground floor button. As the elevator began to descend, Sasuke wondered about her father. He seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite figure it out. He needed more information.

"Will your father be attending the Gala?" he asked. Sakura glanced at him before looking ahead of her at the wall.

"Yes he'll be coming with a guest," she answered. They didn't say more after that. Last night's conversation with her father played back into her mind. She had no idea why she brought up her wedding right then and there. It was old news and she thought she had moved on from that. Not only that, but her father had point blank asked her if she was with Sasuke because of his similarities to Sai.

Hopefully she could put all that behind her. She was committed to him now and that's all that mattered. Sasuke caught her stare and returned it.

He could see that there was something on her mind. Even though they spent a few "moments" together last night, he found that he sort of…missed her, which was a foreign feeling to Sasuke altogether. Subconsciously, his left hand moved to grasp onto her right one.

Sakura smiled at the move and looked down at their joined hands. When she looked back up, her lips were met with a warm kiss. When Sasuke pulled away, she saw that of course, he was smirking. Sakura just rolled her eyes at him and enjoyed the strong comforting feeling of holding his hand. She couldn't remove the smile from her face as the elevator reached the ground floor. Once its doors opened, Sasuke and Sakura reluctantly broke apart and walked out together.

"Where's the rest of our group?" she asked as they made their way over towards the meeting hall. She saw several of her fellow doctors in their white coats, running around the place. It felt like a doctor convention.

"They should be here," he said. They reached the meeting hall and immediately spotted their friends standing around in the center of the room. After grabbing some coffee and refreshments, they made their way over.

"Hey you guys," said Tenten as she spotted them. Naruto, Hinata and Shikamaru were also there.

"Hey Tennie, hello babies" said Sakura as she patted her belly. "You feeling okay?" she asked. Tenten was now seven months pregnant. She made it past her safety point of twenty eight weeks, but she was still a high risk case. She could go into premature labor at any time now.

"I'm fine Sakura," she said. "Nothing to worry about yet," she said. Neji made his way over and stood next to her. He gave her a muffin and had a coffee for himself.

"Sakura," he said as he nodded at her.

"I can't believe they don't have any Ramen," said Naruto as he pouted in the corner. Hinata smiled sympathetically at him.

"No one eats Ramen for breakfast Dobe," said Sasuke. Sakura smiled and looked around the meeting hall. There were so many people here. She was going to have to make a presentation in front of all of them.

"Sakura?" came a familiar voice from behind her. Everyone, including Sakura turned around and smiled when she saw her mentor.

"Tsunade Sama!" said Sakura leaving the group to hug her. She was nearly crushed in a monstrous hug from the older woman, who really didn't look old at all. Tsunade was moderately tall woman with blond hair tied into two pigtails with chestnut brown eyes. She was also sporting her famous purple diamond tattoo on her forehead, but that wasn't all she was famous for. Aside from her medical expertise, Tsunade was known for her extremely large "chest". The woman had boobs the size of basketballs that were now suffocating Sakura.

"How are you Sakura?" she asked as she let go. "The hospital hasn't been the same now that I don't have my apprentice anymore," she said. She was wearing blue Capri pants over a grey top the showed off her incredible cleavage. She was also wearing a doctor's coat over it, although it probably wouldn't have been able to close up all the way.

"I'm doing alright," said Sakura. "Is Shizune here?" she asked while eyeing the drink in Tsunade's hand. Sakura had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't coffee. Tsunade was a very "passionate" alcoholic to say the least.

"She's around here somewhere," said Tsunade. She looked tenderly at Sakura. "It is so good to see you again," she said. "Now where's my grandson?" she asked. That question seemed so ironic to everyone who was watching Tsunade. She looked no older than thirty-five, yet everyone knew she was definitely over fifty. Not that anyone would dare point that out in front of her.

"Oh he's still sleeping," she said. "But I'll bring him over to see you during lunch. He should be up by then," she said. Tsunade took a sip of her drink and that's when Sakura noticed the shiny ring on her finger.

"Is that an engagement ring?" she asked incredulously. Tsunade put the drink down and took a look at her finger.

"You could say that," she said. Sakura just looked at her wide eyed.

"Well, who is it?" she asked. "Is he here?" she said. For as long as she's known her, Tsunade has made it known that marriage wasn't an option for her; some sort of old personal history behind it all or something. This was definitely shocking.

"Probably off doing some more "research". I don't even know why I'm marrying that fool," she said as she took another sip of her drink. "But I'm looking forward to hearing your presentation. It'll be good to see my teachings at work and see some competence again," she said.

"Have you seen Gaara, Temari and Kankuro?" asked Sakura. Sasuke visibly stiffened at the mention of Gaara.

"Knowing Gaara, he's probably already here and we don't even know it," said Tsunade. "But no doubt he'll come looking for you. He's been noticeably moody since you left," she said. Sasuke glared at nothing in particular.

Neji, who was watching Sasuke's behavior, noticed the jealousy and possessiveness from his body posture alone. Neji smirked. This should be fun.

"I see you're adjusting nicely with these people," said Tsunade while indicating the group behind her. "All of whom I'm quite familiar with," she said as she joined them. They all talked briefly about the hospitals and other things. It was soon time for the conference to start.

* * *

**Conference room…**

Sasuke and the rest of the Konoha Medical group sat in the right hand side of the conference hall. The conference had been going on for over two hours already. Most of the other hospitals had already given their presentations. Right now, Sakura was on stage.

Sasuke watched as she spoke with confidence and knowledge. She was in control of that stage. She easily had everyone's attention the moment she was announced to come up. She was the apprentice to the Legendary Tsunade after all, not to mention, she was just beautiful.

Sasuke found his attention shifting from her presentation, to just her.

The way her hair would move with her as she turned her head, the intensity of her eyes at each major point she discussed, or the way she would put her hand on her hip, emphasizing the shape underneath; all these things didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke. Since he wasn't a physician, there was really no need to pay attention to the medical jargon. He was just here for the financial discussions, but he didn't hate that he could just sit there and stare at her.

She was going on about some neonatal respiratory topic. Whatever it was had all the occupants in the room enthralled. Sasuke spotted the Sunagakure medical group sitting on the other end of the room. Gaara had his eyes glued to her the entire time. Sasuke never cared much for Gaara, mainly because they hardly ever conversed about anything. But Naruto knew him. They were apparently good friends from back in the day. Then again, Naruto was everyone's friend.

It was now time for questions from the audience. Several people raised their hands. Sakura answered each one with a smile.

* * *

**Tsunade's POV**:

Sitting there and watching Sakura be the great doctor that she's turned out to be made Tsunade a very proud woman. Sakura was precise and diligent in her presentation and she didn't miss a thing with the questions and answers. Regardless of how proud Tsunade was at the moment, there was also that tremendous sense of guilt that also ran through her veins.

Looking around the room, Tsunade spotted several of the CIA undercover agents stationed here at the hotel. Most of them came from the KMC group. Even though they looked aloof, they were still on high alert, even that knucklehead, Naruto.

Tsunade smirked as she thought about how she was going to break her special news to the unsuspecting blond ramen lover, but that was for later.

Right now, all Tsunade could think about was Sakura, and all the lies she's had to live with. The biggest one being what Sai really did for a living. Tsunade would never forget the day Sai died. It was Sakura's darkest hour and if it wasn't for Sora, Sakura probably would have lost it.

Looking back at her apprentice and "daughter", Tsunade thought about how much she's grown over the past seven or so years. She was now a successful doctor and a great mother, and that's all that Tsunade could have asked for right now. But she hoped that one day, she might be able to move on and marry again. She deserved that much.

However, Tsunade knew that one day, the truth will also come out, and everyone close to Sakura was going to have a lot of explaining to do…including herself.

…**After the conference…**

"Glad that's over," said Tenten as the group made their way out of the conference hall. "To the bathroom!" said Tenten as she waddled her way there with Hinata by her side. When you're as pregnant as Tenten was, you needed a bathroom close by at all times.

"We could go to the lounges for lunch," said Neji to the remaining group.

"I should get Sora from Ino. Tsunade hasn't seen him yet," said Sakura.

"Don't bother," said Shikamaru. "They're here," The group turned their head and saw a worn out Ino walking over with Sora, Akio, Akira and Suki.

"Hey Ino pig," said Sakura. "You look great," she added sarcastically.

"I have no idea how Tenten will be able to handle three kids. She's in for it," Ino said before something else caught her attention. "Oh who's that guy starring at you over there?" she said as she looked behind Sakura. She turned around and smiled.

"Gaara?" said Sakura. Gaara was standing a few feet away from them. Sakura wasted no time in sprinting over launching herself at him in a hug. Sasuke could have sworn he saw something like a smile appear on Gaara's face as he wrapped both arms around her. Sasuke didn't like that…he didn't like it at all. Suki came running to Sasuke when she saw Gaara. "How are you?" asked Sakura as she pulled away.

"Fine," said Gaara. "I'm more concerned about you," he said, looking at her face. Sakura sighed, but smiled none the less at his concern for her.

"Well I'm fine," she said. "Sora too," she added as she motioned for Sora to join her. Sora walked over and stood next to Sakura. "Sora, do you remember Uncle Gaara?" she asked. Sora nodded and smiled up at the red haired man.

Gaara placed his hand on top of Sora's head and ruffled his hair a bit. This was one child that didn't fear him. Gaara had known this boy since before he was born, back when Sakura used to work for them. She was one of the only true friends he had.

"Sakura!" came Temari's voice from behind. "There you are. We've been looking for you," she said as she and Kankuro walked up to them. She gave Sakura a hug and then immediately tackled Sora in a hug as well.

"Hey short stuff," said Kankuro to Sora. Sora just stuck his tongue out at him while hiding behind Sakura for protection. Temari laughed while Gaara was looking ahead. He was staring at something, or rather, fiercely looking at someone: Sasuke.

"Your presentation was great," said Temari. "Now if only you'd have stayed with us, we could brag about you," she said. The rest of the group watched the interaction between Sakura and the Sunagakure group. After a brief chat, Sakura invited them to lunch with the rest of the group.

As everyone made their way to the lounges, Sasuke and Sakura held back from the rest of the group.

"Sasuke," said Sakura. He looked down at her as they walked towards the lounges. "What wrong? Why are you glaring?" she asked. Sasuke only looked forward and glared some more at the back of Gaara's head. He didn't miss the guys glare earlier. "Sasuke!" said Sakura. She didn't like being ignored.

"Nothing," said Sasuke. Sakura would have argued had it not been for Suki running towards them.

"Daddy, Auntie Sakura come on," said Suki as she grabbed both their hands and pulled them along. They both smiled and began to walk faster with Suki in between them. She happily swung their joined hands back and forth, enjoying the feeling of guiding the two them. Sakura smiled at Suki's antics. The entire group made their way to the restaurants, getting in a little more down time until the Gala tonight.

Little did they know that someone else was watching them, or rather…watching a certain pink haired doctor and the man by her side.

As the group went out of sight, the figure left his spot in the lobby and began to walk to the elevators, trying to contain his emotions. He needed to get her face out of his head; otherwise he might do something stupid. Damn her and this spell she had over him. She didn't even know he existed, yet there she was, carefree and happy as ever with another man.

"I'll get you," said the figure. "Just you wait," he said as the doors to the elevator closed.


	18. The Gala

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 18: The Gala**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Ino and Shikamaru's Suite: **

Shikamaru was sleeping soundly in his bed. After practically working through the night with Itachi over the investigation, he felt like he could sleep for days. However he was married to Ino and sleep was never guaranteed with her.

"Shika," whispered Ino. "You awake?" she asked as she carefully turned over to him. The twins were both sleeping in their bed tonight. They never really liked to sleep in unfamiliar places. Shikamaru sighed.

"No," he mumbled. Ino rolled her eyes.

"I feel guilty," said Ino. "Sakura's my best friend. I know she's going to find out. One way or the other, she'll find out and when she does, it's not going to be pretty," she said. Shikamaru didn't open his eyes, but he spoke anyway.

"If Sakura finds out, then that will be a problem," he said. "But there's nothing for you to feel guilty about,"

"We're lying to her. All of us are lying to her," she said. "Practically everyone she knows is living a secret life that she doesn't know about. She thinks I'm a dance instructor,"

"Ino…you _are_ a dance instructor," he said.

"But I wasn't always," she responded "The only reason why I stepped down as a field agent from the CIA was because I got pregnant with the twins, but I'm still the CIA's agricultural botanist,"

"Ino, you have nothing to worry about," said Shikamaru. "It's for her protection. There's no other way around it. Now go to sleep," he said. Ino sighed and closed her eyes. Indeed it was for her own protection, but she knew that secrets had a way of coming out.

How would Sakura react if she found out that Sai was a CIA Agent?

* * *

**Kakashi's POV:**

"No," said Anko as she faced Kakashi in his office. Kakashi was holding up a very chic black evening gown in front of her.

"Come on now," he said. "You can't come to the gala dressed like that," he said while looking over her appearance. He held the dress out in front of her face. "Besides…I've never seen you in a dress," he said.

"This is border lining harassment," said Anko as she eyed the dress with distaste. "And I'm assuming that the completely backless part was your idea?" she asked. Kakashi just looked at it innocently.

"You could use the time to enhance your femininity," said Kakashi. "Backless dresses are tasteful and elegant in today's society. Either way, you have to wear a dress," said Kakashi. When he saw the steel in her eyes, he added "Either you pick this one, or we can spend hours picking out more from the undercover department," Anko glared. Being the tomboy that she was, she _hated_ shopping with a passion. Shopping with your closet-pervert of a boss would be even worse.

"Give me that," she said as she took the dress from him. She was so not looking forward to this "Gala" thing. She turned the dress around and sneered at the back side of it. It was definitely going to be form fitting. "Don't get used to this," said Anko. "Not only do I have to wear a damn dress, but I have to act like your _secretary_ as well,"

"That's all on you," said Kakashi. "You didn't have to tell Sakura that you were my secretary," he said while bringing out his favorite book from his coat pocket. Anko flung the dress over her shoulder.

"Should I have told her about our real affiliation?" she asked. Kakashi glanced at her, but said nothing. He knew what she was referring to, and he knew that she knew the answer. In the almost fifteen years that he's known her, Kakashi had never revealed his relationship with Anko to Sakura. He liked to blame it on their identity concealment rule of the CIA, but really, he didn't know if he ever should tell Sakura.

"Well, I've got training to get to," said Anko as she walked towards the exit. "…Kakashi," she said while turning back to him. He looked at her and waited. "…I don't dance, so don't even try it," she said while smiling a little. She opened the door and left him alone.

Kakashi sighed and plopped himself back down in his seat. He pulled out his favorite novel and opened up to where he left off, but for some reason, he found that he'd rather day dream about Anko dancing with him. Somehow…that seemed to make him happier than his little book.

* * *

**Neji's POV: **

After lunch was over, Neji and Tenten went back to their suite to get some rest. Actually, it was more like Neji dragged her back to their suite and forced her to take a nap while she protested. Regardless of her protests, he usually won the battles. She was now sleeping peacefully while being surrounded by her special pregnancy pillow that prohibited her from rolling over onto her stomach.

Neji lay next to her and watched her sleeping form. Her hair was let down and was fanned around her face, making her look completely at ease and happy. Her left hand was subconsciously laid across her belly, protecting her unborn babies. She was the most beautiful woman in the world to him, and Neji could only hope that his daughter turned out to be as beautiful as her mother.

Although he didn't show it, Neji was very anxious for the babies to be born. According to Sakura, they could be born at any minute now. Tenten's uterus was stretched to maximum capacity now and it was only a matter of time until she delivers. Neji didn't even want her to come to Kyoto in fear that she could go into labor here, but she wouldn't hear of it. He was just glad that Sakura was around in case it happened.

Tenten stirred in her sleep. Judging by how her hand roamed over her belly, the babies must have been acting up again. They were getting more and more restless in there. Neji could see how her belly would move when they kicked. Not wanting Tenten to wake up anytime soon, Neji got up and placed his hands over her belly and began to gently rub it.

A while ago, they discovered that the babies relaxed when he did this. Sakura was actually the one to suggest the gesture to Neji after telling him that it worked like a charm when she was pregnant with Sora. True to her words, the babies seemed to settle down in there. Neji didn't want them acting up so badly that they made their mother go into early labor, because that was a high possibility right now.

The rubbing woke up Tenten.

"…they're pretty fussy," said Tenten as she looked down at Neji. He stopped rubbing and went back to sit next to her.

"How do you feel?" he asked. Tenten sighed and placed her hands over her large abdomen.

"I'm okay Neji," she said. "I'm not looking forward to wearing a dress tonight though," she said. "I'll feel like a blimp," she said. Neji sighed. He laid himself next to her and placed his palm over his eyes. Tenten turned to him and placed her hand on his chest.

"Are you okay?" asked Tenten.

"Fine," he said. "Its' just Kakashi's suspicious of Sasuke now. He was pretty anxious to find out as much as he could about him from us last night," he said. "I didn't give away too much info for Sakura's sake. All he knows is that he was one of our friends," he said. "But knowing Kakashi, I'm sure he has his reasons for wanting the info,"

"You know how protective he is over her," she said referring to Sakura. "Anyway, you've been working too hard lately. I get that you're going in between the missions and working at the hospital, but am I making it worse for you?" she asked. Neji grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"Nothing is more important than you and our kids," he said. "I'll take care of you and you take care of them," he said while running his hand over her belly.

"We still need to give them names you know," said Tenten with a smile.

"Shouldn't we do that after they're born?" asked Neji. "I can understand naming our girl, but we have two boys," he said.

"Well I know that," said Tenten. "And our boys are pretty good about there they are. Look, here's one of them," she said while patting her right side. "He likes to play kick mommy's rib," she said. She patted her left side. "This one likes to kick his brother and make him stop kicking me, and this little princess," she said while patting the top part of her belly "She loves to sit quietly and watch her brothers play. I have a feeling she's going to take after you,"

Neji almost chuckled after that explanation. He smiled at the thought that Tenten knew more about the baby's personalities. It was truly amazing how in tune a mother could be with her unborn child. "I hope she_ looks_ more like you," said Neji. Tenten smiled.

"So how about it Neji, let's name them," said Tenten. Neji smirked. He knew she had names ready. The question was which ones will they choose?

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

It was now 5:30 PM and Sakura was trying to get everything prepared for tonight. Sora's little tux was ironed and hanging in the closet and her own dress was laid out on the bed, waiting for her to put it on. She was currently applying her make up in front of the vanity mirror in the bathroom. She was excited about this gala. It had been a while since she had the chance to get dressed up again and gathering together with all her friends and colleagues just seemed like a lovely way to enjoy the holidays.

Sakura smiled as she saw a little head of raven hair walking up to her from the mirror. Sora couldn't even see above the counter as he stood next to his mother.

"Mommy…do I have to wear the tie?" he asked as he placed both hands up on the counter and tried to prop himself up.

"Yes you do sweetie," said Sakura as she applied her mascara. "All the boys are going to wear them," she said. She smiled when Sora pouted. "…even Sasuke," she said. He seemed slightly pleased with this news. Sakura found it amazing that Sora could go from disliking Sasuke to treating him like a hero in only a few months. It made her happy that he had someone to look up to.

"Okay then, let's get you dressed up," said Sakura as she packed up her makeup. She and Sora went to the closet and took out his little tux. After putting it on Sora, Sakura took a step back to admire his appearance. He was just the most adorable little boy she could have ever had.

"Oh sweetie," she said as she bent down to his level. "You look so handsome like that," she said as she brought him into a hug. "Promise me you won't grow up too fast okay?" she said. Sora giggled.

"Okay," said Sora. "Do I have to stop eating tomatoes?" he asked. Sakura laughed.

"No sweetie, you don't have to stop eating them," she said as she placed her hands on the sides of his face. "I just want you to be my baby for as long as possible," she said as she kissed his forehead. "Now I have to finish getting ready," she said as she stood to go and get her dress. Sora went into the living room to watch come TV.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV:**

Sasuke had just finished getting ready for the gala. It was a very elegant black tie affair and Sasuke felt more like he was getting ready for a wedding than a party. He never liked these kinds of things, but it was all a formality for the hospital. Sometimes he wished he lived a simpler life.

He was dressed in a black tux with a clean white shirt underneath and a shining light cream colored vest over that. A black tie and a matching blazer finished the look.

He made his was over to Suki's room and overheard his mother talking in there. Sasuke peeked inside and saw his mother getting Suki ready for the gala.

"You look so beautiful in your dress sweetheart," Said Mikoto as she brushed Suki's hair. Suki smiled. She was wearing a nice little pink frock that went down to her ankles. It was tied at the waist with a darker pink sash. She also had a white sweater that was only buttoned at the top along with Sakura's necklace. She was precious.

"I want to be beautiful like Aunty Sakura is," said Suki. "I wish I had pink hair like her" she said. Mikoto smiled.

"You really love Sakura…don't you?" asked Mikoto. Suki nodded.

"I love Aunty Sakura," said Suki. "I wish she was _my_ Mommy. Then Sora could be my brother," she said happily.

Sasuke hung his head low from outside her door, but smirked nonetheless.

Mikoto stopped brushing her hair and saw Suki's smiling face through the mirror. This was her granddaughter. This precious girl was the heart of the Uchiha family and it pained Mikoto to see her yearn for a mother of her own. She was so innocent and deserved so much. Mikoto turned Suki around to face her.

"Well…you're all done now, and you look stunning," she said. The door opened fully and Sasuke stepped into the room. Suki smiled when she saw him.

"Daddy, how do I look?" she asked while twirling around. Sasuke smiled and picked her up.

"Beautiful," he said while kissing her cheek. Mikoto smiled at the two of them.

"Suki, why don't you go show your dress to your grandfather while your Daddy and I talk?" said Mikoto. Sasuke placed her down and Suki scurried off to find Fugaku. When she was gone, Sasuke turned to his mother.

"I know what this is about," said Sasuke.

"Good," said Mikoto. "Then that saves us a lot of time. No doubt you overheard what she said earlier,"

"Hn," said Sasuke. Mikoto sighed. Sasuke was never the talkative type, but he would open up to her every now and then.

"Sasuke, what exactly is your relationship with Sakura?" she asked. "Suki obviously thinks of her in a way that she shouldn't be right now," she said. "Should she?"

"Sakura is there for Suki when she needs to be," said Sasuke. "There are things that you know I can't do for Suki and that's where she comes in. This is all for Suki,"

"So you're just using her?" asked Mikoto. "You know that she had a son of her own to think about,"

"You know that's not how I am," said Sasuke.

"I know exactly how you are Sasuke, I'm your mother," said Mikoto. "I know that you have always done what you thought you _should_ do for your life," she said. "But I've never seen you do anything that you _wanted_ to do,"

Sasuke looked to the side of the room.

"You took over the hospital out of obligation to your father," she said. "You married Aya out of obligation to the hospital," she said. "Now you have Suki and you're seeing another woman out of obligation to her need for a mother?" asked Mikoto.

"It's not… out of obligation to Suki," said Sasuke. "You don't have to worry about her,"

"It's not only Suki that I'm worried about," said Mikoto. "This is your life Sasuke. For once, I just want to see you to do something that makes you happy," she said while placing her hand on the side of his face. "You're my son. All I want is your happiness,"

"And that's all I want for Suki too," said Sasuke as he brought his mother's hand down. "Don't worry about me mother. I can take care of myself," he said before walking out of the room. Mikoto watched him leave and sighed.

"…For once Sasuke," she whispered. "Let someone take care of you," she said while thinking about a certain pink haired woman.

* * *

**Naruto's POV: **

"I can't believe that old fart's engaged…to granny Tsunade of all people!" said Naruto as he and Hinata came back to their room. "And I can't believe that that bar didn't' have any ramen!" Not only was there no ramen, but Jiraya had told Naruto the news of his proposal to Tsunade while having drinks and that totally caught Naruto off guard.

"Shouldn't you be happy for him Naruto?" asked Hinata. "He and Tsunade were meant to be,"

"Yeah, a pervy sage and an alcoholic granny" said Naruto as he kicked his shoes off. "It's just…I don't know It's weird," he said while unbuttoning his shirt.

"Well when you say it like that, it is," said Hinata. "Think of it this way," she said as she sat on the bed. "Not only are you gaining a new mother of sorts, your also gaining a new sister through Sakura. After all, Tsunade does think of her as a daughter. Now Sora could be your nephew too," she said. "Your family is only growing,"

Naruto smiled and tossed his shirt aside, revealing a deep red ANBU tattoo on his right arm. Then he removed the gun that was strapped to his ankle and carefully placed it on the counter before pouncing on Hinata, who squeaked with surprise. Juggling your CIA career and your civilian cover life was hard work, and there was nothing better than finding release with your significant other, in this case, his wife.

Hinata melted under the kisses Naruto was placing down her neck. She knew how stressful their jobs could be and she did everything she could to help make Naruto feel better. But as much as she wanted him right now, she knew that they had to get ready for the Gala.

"Naruto," she said. Naruto claimed her lips, knowing that she was going to stop this soon. He didn't want that just yet. Hinata smiled, but pulled him away with her hands. "We have to shower and get ready for the gala," she said. Naruto hung his head low. He then brought it back up and smiled mischievously at his wife.

He lifted Hinata up and carried her bridal style to the bathroom.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Think of the time we'll save if we shower together," he said. Hinata blushed but was excited none the less. She just wondered if they'll actually manage to get clean in time for the gala.

* * *

**Sakura's POV**:

Ino and Shikamaru had come by and taken Sora down to the ballroom with them. Sakura still had some things to do before she came down and was grateful for their help. After packing up all their things, she finally decided to slip into her dress.

Her hair was left down and in very soft curls that gracefully framed her face. The sides were clipped up with soft pink pearled hair pins that greatly complimented her hair. She had on very subtle make up with eyeliner that brought out the brilliance of her naturally green eyes. She also wore a pearly pink lip stick.

Her jewelry consisted of a pair of beautiful diamond studded earrings, and matching pendant necklace and a matching bracelet; simple yet elegant. Now all that was left was the dress.

Before she could get it, there was a knock on her door. Sakura tightened her robe before walking over to the door. When she opened it, she found a really tall attendant with white hair and a somewhat blank stare, standing outside with what appeared to be some sort of card and a single red rose.

"Ms. Haruno," said the attendant. "A message for you," he said while handing her the card and rose. Sakura was surprised, but smiled nonetheless.

"Thank you," said Sakura. As soon as she took them, the attendant quickly left without another word. "I wonder what this could be," she said as she opened the card. Inside, there were only seven words written down.

**"**_**I can't wait to see you tonight**_**" **

"_Did Sasuke send me this?"_ thought Sakura as a smile and a blush made their way onto her face. This was so cute and so…un-like Sasuke. Not only that, she was now nervous about letting him see her in her dress. Still, this was just really sweet. She brought the rose up to her nose and took in its scent. She couldn't wait to see him either.

Sakura practically skipped over to the bed and slipped into her dress. She examined herself in the mirror and smiled at her appearance. The dress was a shining ivory white chiffon ball gown and had very thin spaghetti straps, almost leaving her shoulders bare. It hugged her hips and upper body perfectly, showing off her figure and lightly flared out at the knees until it almost dragged on the floor. The dress showed a moderate amount of cleavage, but the most dramatic thing about it was that it was completely backless.

The dress also came with beautiful white chiffon scarf that was placed in front of her neck and hanging from the back. She felt like a cloud wearing this flowing gown.

After looking over herself once more, Sakura walked over the dresser and sprayed herself with a bit of her white cherry blossom perfume. Now she was ready. She left the card and the rose on the dresser and walked to the door. The feeling of excitement was getting more intense.

* * *

**Hotel Grand Ballroom: 6:15 PM**

Sasuke and the Uchiha family had arrived in the ballroom. This room was the most exquisite place in the whole hotel. There was a huge staircase leading from the top of the entry way, down to the main floor and it was decorated with white lights and holly spiraled all around it.

Christmas decorations were placed everywhere and there were several large Christmas trees lining the sides of the room all leading up to the large fifteen-footer at the top of the grand hall. Circular tables that could seat up to fifteen people were arranged throughout the room and they were decorated with mini Christmas trees on each table. There was even a bit of fake snow scattered around everywhere. It truly felt like a winter palace.

"Ohhhh this place is so pretty Daddy," said Suki as she walked hand and hand with her father down the stair case.

"Not as pretty as you," said Itachi, who was walking behind Fugaku and Mikoto. Suki smiled back at him. As they came down the stairs, they spotted their group a little ways away. Suki let go of Sasuke's hand and ran over to them.

"Hi guys" said Suki as she approached Akio, Akira and Sora. The rest of the adults stood by with their drinks.

"You look pretty Suki," said Akira as the kids came together in the ballroom.

"You too Akira," said Suki. Akira was wearing a baby blue dress that complimented her blond hair brought out her eyes nicely. Akio was wearing a little grey suit with a black bow tie. Sora's little black tux greatly resembled Sasuke's.

"Suki you look so cute," said Ino. She wore a darker royal blue tube top gown that fit her body perfectly. Her hair was done up in an elaborate knot at the back of her head. Shikamaru was with her and he was also wearing a black tux like Akio.

"Thank you Aunty Ino," said Suki. Tenten waddled her way over to Suki. She was wearing a long black silk umpire waist dress that was both flattering to her pregnant figure and lose enough for her to move freely. The dress was tied together with a white sash and her hair was let down and clipped in the back.

"I feel like a whale," said Tenten as she stood near Ino. She felt like one standing next that Ino's slim figure. Suki came over to her aunt Tenten and patted her large tummy.

"Aunty Tenten, when are the babies coming?" asked Suki innocently while keeping her hands on Tenten's belly.

"I hope they come soon sweetie," said Tenten. "Because I feel like a whale," she said. Suki giggled. Sora came over too.

"Wow Aunty Tenten," said Sora. "You're tummy is really really really big now," he said. Ino snickered and Tenten smiled, but was crying anime tears internally.

"Thank you sweetie," said Tenten as she patted Sora's head. Sora smiled. He saw Sasuke coming his way.

Sasuke walked over to Sora and smirked at his little tux. The kid had good taste. "Have you been practicing your training?" asked Sasuke

"Yeah," said Sora. "I practice every day and I ask Mommy to give me tomatoes," he said enthusiastically.

"Good boy," said Sasuke and he ruffled Sora's already messy hair a bit. "You'll grow up to be strong," he said. Sora smiled. He was glad that he had Sasuke around to train him.

"Where's your Mommy?" asked Sasuke.

"She's still getting ready. She told me to come down with aunty Ino," he said.

"I see," said Sasuke. He saw Naruto and Hinata make their way towards them. The Dobe was actually dressed nicely. He was wearing a black tux, but he somehow managed to sneak a shining pumpkin orange tie into the mix. The Dobe loved his orange.

"What's up guys?" asked Naruto as he and Hinata came over to the group. Naruto looked a little too happy, but then again, Sasuke still considered him to be a newlywed and that always explained a lot. Hinata was holding his hand. She was wearing a lavender halter top dress that came down in ruffles towards the feet. Her hair was held back in a low pony tail.

"Hn," said Sasuke. "You actually dressed normal," he said as he took a sip of his drink.

"Ahh forget you Teme," said Naruto. Suki came up to Naruto and tugged on his pants. Naruto looked down at his little pink goddaughter and smiled.

"Do I look pretty uncle Naruto?" asked Suki. Naruto picked her up and smiled.

"Don't tell anyone but," he dropped his voice to a whisper. "You're the prettiest one here," he said. Suki giggled and nodded.

"Where's Sakura?" asked Hinata as she looked around.

"That's what I'd like to know," came a voice from behind them. Everyone turned around to find Kakashi standing there with a woman in a scandalous black dress on his arm. When you get past the glamor, you could see that she was kind of scowling. She got several astonished looks from the group though.

"What's up Kakashi?" said Naruto. Kakashi internally sighed at Naruto's carelessness. Kakashi was dressed in a sharp black tux with a shining red tie and grey vest underneath.

"When did you meet Sakura's father?" asked Sasuke with a curious expression. Naruto froze but remained laughing.

"We met after I had dinner with my daughter," said Kakashi as he covered for Naruto's careless blunder. "You and your wife were shopping, am I correct?" he asked.

"Yes we were," said Hinata. "We're so glad that you could make it tonight," she said while patting Naruto's arm affectionately. Naruto was internally crying at his own stupidity, and the fact that he was going to get it from Hinata later on.

"Hn," said Sasuke. Kakashi turned to Anko.

"This is Anko, one of my good friends," said Kakashi. Anko internally rolled her eyes, but smiled none the less. Her hair was let down straight and was held together at one side with a sparkling black clip. She wore no jewelry though. That was the one thing she wouldn't compromise on. But she did get trapped into putting on some make up. She had to cover up the curse mark on the side of her neck with foundation.

"Hi," said Anko .She knew everyone there, expect for Sasuke, who nodded at her but didn't bother to make eye contact. He was more interested in the whereabouts of a certain pink haired woman.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Sakura walked along the corridor with her gown flowing elegantly behind her. She could hear the soft music playing from downstairs as she got closer to the grand stair case. Her high heeled shoes made no noise as she walked over the red velvet carpet that lined the floors. Her soft curls bounced lightly with every step she made.

She was beautiful, and she was anxious; getting that note earlier only added to her restlessness. She wanted to look nice in front of a certain vocabulary impaired man that she's come to know and care for. Sakura smiled at remembering the note. It was so sweet of him to do that.

Sasuke really was something else. Sakura was instantly attracted to him physically; that much she wasn't going to deny. Sasuke was a man of few words. He was calm, cool, collected, and full of mystery. He was really quite alluring to the female eye.

But Sakura was fortunate enough to see what was past his appearances. Beyond those deep onyx orbs was a man that was kind, generous and loving. Regardless of his solitary exterior, Sakura saw the loving side of Sasuke and how he is with the people he cares for most.

He was the most content with his little angel Suki.

That little girl was his lifeline. How can he be anything but loving towards that bundle of innocence? It was the greatest thing for Sakura to see how much love Sasuke was capable of giving to his friends and family. He had even gone so far as the embrace Sora and his own son…and that meant the world to her.

She had just reached the top of the grand stair case. Once she had come in full view of it, she looked down and felt her heart jump at the sight of the man at the bottom of it, starring at her as is she was only thing there.

* * *

**Sasuke POV: **

Sasuke had decided to step out of the buzz of the ballroom and get some air by the stairs, where there were less people. He never really enjoyed being surrounded by people and their festivities, hence his solitary personality and his anti-social demeanor all together. But something drew him to go to the stairs and once he reached it, he looked up and couldn't look away.

There at the top of the stairs, was a vision in white. The most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

**Normal POV: **

Sakura stood at the top of the stairs while Sasuke remained at the base of it; both stood in awe of the other. Sakura looked down at him and drank up his appearance, only wondering for a split second if this was how Sora would grow up to look like twenty years from now. Sasuke was dressed in a bigger version of the tux she had Sora wear. The difference that size could make on an identical tux was the difference between and adorable boy and a drop-dead-sexy man.

Sakura slowly began to come down from the stairs. She kept her gaze on him with every step she took. The music playing drowned out all the other sounds of the people around them. The only sound that she could hear other than the music, was the beating of her heart.

Sasuke stood there, fully transfixed on the woman that was now coming towards him. Her lips, her hair, her dress, and those gorgeous green eyes of hers; everything was perfect. The lights that aligned the staircase highlighted her entire form, making her look more like the Christmas angel that she looked like tonight.

Being so mesmerized by each other made them fail to realize that they had an audience, watching the entire scene.

"Aunty Sakura looks so pretty," said Suki in a wondrous voice. Everyone turned to where she was looking and saw the scene.

Naruto, Neji, Shikamaru, Itachi, Gaara, and Kankuro all turned their heads the grand stair case. Tsunade, Ino, Hinata and Tenten were all watching the scene as well. Everyone saw how the pair looked at each other.

Now at this point, none of them quite knew the real depth of Sasuke and Sakura's relationship, however, the boys now had a better understanding about Kakashi's earlier inquiry about Sasuke. Speaking of Kakashi, the group turned to look in his direction and they weren't surprised to find him watching as well.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: **

She finally came down and stopped with just a few stairs left. She smiled and turned around slowly to show him the extent of her dress. Sasuke's eyes widened only slightly when he saw her completely bare back. She turned back to him, only to see him still staring at her in awe.

"So," said Sakura. "How do I look?"

"….Beautiful," said Sasuke. Beautiful didn't even begin to describe her right now, but it was all he could come up with at the moment. But judging from the blush she was giving him, it was good enough for now.

"Well, you don't look so bad yourself," she said. She received one of his signature smirks. She came down the rest of the stairs and caught sight of two little objects coming in their direction and looked behind Sasuke to see their kids running towards them. She also saw that they had quite the audience watching them.

"Aunty Sakura," said Suki as she came running towards her. Sakura bent down and let Suki run into a big hug.

"Hi sweetie," said Sakura. "Oh let me look at you," she said as she held Suki out in front of her. "You look so beautiful," she said as she brought her hand to the side of Suki's face. "Pink really is your color," she said. Suki smiled.

"You look pretty Aunty Sakura," said Suki. In her eyes, Sakura was fairytale princesses come to life.

"I think you look like a princess Mommy," said Sora. Sakura smiled and brought him into a hug as well.

"Thank you," said Sakura as she kissed both their cheeks. She released them and stood up. "You both look so cute. Sora, you keep the tie on all night okay?" said Sakura.

"Okay," said Sora while glancing at Sasuke. Sora was obviously very happy that he dressed like him.

"Let's go find everyone," she said. She took both kids hands and began to walk to the center of the ballroom with Sasuke following closely, ignoring everyone's stares as they did so.

* * *

**Kakashi's POV: **

He saw her coming down the stairs. She was even more beautiful than her mother was. As he watched her take every step, Kakashi began to realize just how much of a woman that his little girl had become. Seems it was just yesterday that she was this chubby cheeked little thing taking her first steps towards him.

But now, it pained him to see that she was no longer his baby girl running into his arms. Now, she was a woman, and he wasn't the one she was walking to anymore. Now, she was walking down to the man that was waiting for her at the bottom.

Sasuke Uchiha

There was something about that man that Kakashi was unsure of. But seeing the look in his eyes as he watched Sakura coming towards him was unmistakable.

Sasuke Uchiha was falling in love with his daughter.

Kakashi tried to be happy, but then, as he saw Sakura turn to reveal a scandalously revealing backless side, Kakashi almost flipped. He tensed, and felt like walking up to her and throwing his coat over her.

"Keep cool," said Anko while running her up and down his arm that she was holding onto. She felt him become tense all of the sudden, and she knew why. It was pretty amusing.

"Look at her dress!" said Kakashi while turning to her. "It's too revealing!" he said in a restrained voice. To that, Anko raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" said Anko. "Backless dresses are tasteful and elegant…are they not?" she asked while smirking at his expression. He was defeated, and she loved it. She stopped smirking when she felt his hand sneak its way onto her own bare back. Kakashi pulled her closer, silently promising her that she was going to get it later tonight. But for now, he was the protective father, and she was going to have a tough time trying to calm him down.

"Sakura," said Kakashi. He watched her face as she stood before Sasuke. She was happy. She was so much more than just his daughter. The two little people running towards her proved that. She embraced them both as her children.

As Kakashi starred at the four of them, he could not get the idea that they seemed like a perfect fit out of his mind.

There was someone, however, that didn't like the sight of them together.

* * *

**Another POV: (Mystery dude)**

**"I can't wait to see you tonight" **

That's what he told her in his note. And the sight that he saw was worth the wait because…there she was.

The object of his desire

A beauty in white

She was magnificent

She did more justice to that dress than it could ever do for her. She was perfect. Her flawless body, her beautifully pink hair, and the emeralds she claimed were her eyes were all perfect.

The man held his wine glass up to his lips and took a long sip as he observed her coming down those stairs. He was close to breaking his glass after getting a glimpse of her incredibly backless dress. After all this time, there she was. And after all this time, she still wasn't coming to him.

Because to her, he didn't exist

He meant nothing to her

And there she was, going to another man; a man that didn't deserve her.

Just like she did last time…

And just like last time…

He would make her regret forgetting him

He would make her regret being with that man

He took another swing of his wine glass and emptied the contents. Watching her with that man was beginning to make his blood boil. But he had to keep his cool. There was still so much work to do…and so many specimens to choose from in this room alone.

He needed a few more for his work. None of his test subjects seemed to be responding well to the treatments. He needed more of them, but he had to be careful now. Their disappearances have attracted media attention. He needed to tread carefully. He would focus on that for now. He'll get back to Sakura later.

He placed his drink on one of the server's dishes and walked away. There was someone he needed to call.

* * *

**Another POV: (Second Mystery dude)….yes there are two of them… **

He had delivered the message to "Sakura" a little while ago. Now he was downstairs in the grand ballroom, carrying out his task as the champagne server. His eyes occasionally glared in the direction of certain man, who shouldn't be in his face.

He couldn't stand Sasuke Uchiha.

Looking at the man made him sick. He didn't deserve happiness. Sasuke was the reason why his life was miserable, and looking at him with that Sakura woman only added to his hatred of the man. He wanted nothing more than to grab his gun, hidden in his coat and finish the Uchiha off. The ringing of his cell phone momentarily distracted him.

He picked up the phone and listened to his bosses instructions.

"Understood," he said before closing his phone and tucking it in his pocket. He straightened his tie, picked up his tray full of champagne glasses and began to work the room, all the while keeping his eye on the bane of his existence.

* * *

**Normal POV:**

"Hi everyone," said Sakura as she, Sasuke and the kids made it back to the group.

"Sakura you look so beautiful," said Hinata. Sakura smiled and blushed.

"Thanks Hinata," she said.

"Yeah Sakura," said Naruto. "You look like one of the angles on top of a tree,"

"Awww Naruto that's so sweet," said Sakura. "You look great too. You all do," she said as she looked around. "We should get dressed up more often,"

"Speak for yourself," said Tenten as she waddled her way to the chairs. It was getting tougher and tougher remain standing when you had three fetuses weighing you down. Neji helped her get into the sitting position. Sakura came over to check on her.

"You okay Tennie?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Tenten. "Just a little hard to stand for so long, you know?" she said. Sakura was still worried.

"Well you just take it easy," said Sakura. "And you let me know the minute you don't feel well at all, okay?" said Sakura. Tenten nodded.

"Sakura" Sakura turned and saw her mentor walking up towards her with her soon to be husband on her arm. She was wearing a pretty nice dark green dress that had a pretty steep neckline, leaving an eyeful of her legendary chest. The man she was with had wild and spiky white hair and strange tattoos on his face. He reminded her of a toad. He was a big man, and he looked a bit goofy yet intimating while wearing a black suit.

"Tsunade Sama," said Sakura. She wasn't surprised to find her with a drink in her hands. "You look great," she said.

"Yes yes don't I always," said Tsunade.

"Sup granny Tsuna-OW!" said Naruto as Tsunade punched his arm.

"For the hundredth time, stop calling me granny," she said while taking a sip of her drink. Naruto massaged his arm while muttering something about geriatric alcoholism under his breath.

"Now I hope I can find a certain little ninja man of mine that I have yet to see," said Tsunade while looking behind Sakura. Sora popped his head out at the words "ninja man" and saw his grandmother.

"Grandma!" said Sora.

"There's my grandbaby," said Tsunade as she crouched down and brought Sora into a…suffocating hug. Sakura tried not to laugh as Sora's face went right into the middle of Tsunade's chest.

"Hey why does he get to call you granny?" asked Naruto while pointing at them.

"Maybe because he's age appropriate?" said Jiraya. "Seriously, the density of your brain never fails to surprise me," he said. "You still have a lot to learn about women. And I'm still waiting for the grandchildren," he said while nudging Naruto with his elbow, making both Naruto and Hinata blush with embarrassment.

Jiraya looked down at the little boy that was struggling for air between Tsunade's "jugs" as he liked to call them.

"Let the boy breathe Tsunade," said Jiraya. "He's a little too young to be experiencing the joys of a woman. And he can always turn to my books when he is," said Jiraya. He winced when Tsunade elbowed him in the shins while still hugging her grandson.

"You've gotten so big since the last time I saw you," said Tsunade as she pulled him away. Sora looked a little winded, but smiled nonetheless.

"Because I eat tomatoes now grandma," said Sora. "So now I'm getting bigger," he said. Tsunade chuckled at his cuteness.

"Of course you are," she said as she gave him a big kiss on his cheek. She left a big red kissy mark on his left cheek that Sora rubbed with his sleeve, but all he managed to do was smear it all over his cheek.

"Sora, don't use your sleeve," said Sakura. She took a napkin from the table and began to rub the lipstick off his cheek. When she was done, there was nothing more than a light pink spot that remained.

"Hey, I just noticed something," said Naruto. "Sora looks exactly like Sasuke," he said. Everyone looked at Naruto.

"You just noticed that?" asked Jiraya. "I just met the kid and even I saw that immediately," he said. Naruto crossed his arms and looked away.

"Well now that I look at it," said Ino. "They are wearing matching outfits. They really do look alike," she said. Everyone was now looking between Sasuke and Sora. Sora seemed to be a bit shy from all the attention and held his head down. But really, he was happy about the comments.

"What's going on here?" said Kakashi as he and Anko approached the group. Kakashi eyed Sakura's attire briefly before looking down at his grandson, who was clearly embarrassed about something.

"Hi Daddy," said Sakura as she gave her father a hug. Kakashi kissed her forehead and smiled at her, but still, all he wanted to do was throw a sweater on her. Kakashi turned to Anko.

"This is Anko…my friend," said Kakashi. Anko semi-glared at him before looking at Sakura.

"Oh yeah, we spoke over the phone," said Sakura. "Nice to meet you,"

"Likewise," said Anko. She was beginning to feel a little awkward now. She was meeting Kakashi's daughter. When thinking about it rationally, Anko couldn't picture herself as even a remotely close mother figure to Sakura. She was no more than fifteen years older than her.

Kakashi was beginning to feel strange as well. He had his daughter and his girlfriend together for the first time. He could tell Anko was feeling the same way, but as far as Sakura went, he couldn't tell. So he turned to Sasuke.

"Good to see you again Sasuke," said Kakashi as he straightened his posture. His voice was also somewhat stronger than his usual laid back manner. Sasuke turned to him and nodded.

"Commander Hatake," said Sasuke with equal strength in his voice. Sakura had come back and stood near Sasuke.

"Daddy, where's you drink?" asked Sakura.

"I've already had one," said Kakashi. "Besides, I don't want to be too intoxicated when we dance tonight" he said while giving her a small smile. Sakura smiled back.

"You can dance grandpa?" asked Sora.

"I want to dance too," said Suki.

"Me too," said Akira. Being the dancers that Suki and Akira were, they couldn't wait to dance.

"After dinner then," said Sakura.

"Well there's a little bit of time before dinner," said Tsunade. "Why don't you go mingle a little bit," she said. "There are quite a few people I want you to run into. And when you meet them, tell them you're my student," she said while taking a sip of her martini.

"She's been bragging about you," said Jiraya. "And I suppose I can brag about you becoming my new daughter," he said. "You're practically Tsunade's daughter after all,"

"Practically being the key word here," said Kakashi as he stepped up. "You can go mingle," he said to Sakura.

"Thanks for the permission," said Sakura sarcastically. "I'm going to go get some champagne," she said as she left the group. Sasuke was about to follow her, when he felt a firm hand drop his shoulder.

"So Sasuke" said Kakashi. "I've heard quite a bit about you from both my daughter and my grandson," he said. "Let's talk shall we?" he said while narrowing his eyes.

* * *

**Children's POV: **

"This party's boring," said Akio. The kids had been roaming around the ball room trying to find something to do.

"I think its fun," said Suki. "We get to see all the grownups in pretty dresses and then we get to dance,"

"Yeah Akio," said Akira. "We get to dress up too. Now I look as pretty as Mommy does," she said while smiling.

"Mommy's way prettier than you are," said Akio. Akira scowled.

"You're a booger" said Akira. She then turned to Sora. "Do you think I'm pretty Sora?" she asked. Sora looked over her dress with an innocent expression and shrugged.

"I think so," said Sora. Akira blushed and smiled and stuck her tongue out at her brother, who just ignored her.

"Hey you guys," said Suki. "Let's play hide and seek," she suggested.

"Okay," said Sora. The rest of the kids agreed.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

"I've read about your work Dr. Haruno. It's really helped in our own research," said one of the doctors that Sakura was currently talking to.

"Thank you," said Sakura. "It was really just a collection of my own notes from med school," she said. "But in the end, documenting everything turned out to be a good idea I suppose" she said while chuckling and sipping her champagne.

"As expected of Tsunade's student" said a new voice. A woman with short brown hair and a dark grape colored dress stood by them.

"Shizune!" said Sakura. The two women hugged. "I was wondering where you were," she said as they parted.

"I've been around," she said. "I'm currently tracking down Tsunade Sama. I figured I'd just follow the booze and I'm good," she said. Both women chuckled.

"She's over by the dance floor," said Sakura. "I'll catch up with you later then," she said. Shizune nodded and left to go and find her boss. Sakura looked over in the direction she was going and barely saw the rest of her group getting settled at their table.

"Well, it looks like dinner is about to start," said Sakura to the doctor. "It was a pleasure meeting you," she said.

"Likewise," said the doctor. Sakura smiled and then turned to leave. As she walked toward the direction of her table, she suddenly bumped into someone who was walking in the opposite direction, causing her to spill her drink onto that person.

"Oh I'm so sorry," said Sakura without even looking at the persons face. She began to attempt to tidy up the person's expensive looking suit with her handkerchief. The said person chuckled.

"Well, if it isn't the cherry blossom prodigy herself," said the man. Sakura looked up at him. He was about the same height Sasuke was, but he had long silvery grey spiky hair that was held together in the back in a low ponytail. He wore basic round rimmed glasses that were currently covering his eyes with the glare of the light shining on them.

He used his index finger to push them up the bridge of his nose and smirked as the pink haired woman's face indicated recognition.

"It's been a while Sakura," he said.

"Kabuto?" said Sakura. "How are you?" she said.

"I'm okay," he said while chuckling. "A little moist, but okay," he said. Sakura immediately went back to trying to wipe the drink off him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going," she said dabbed his shoulder.

"It's quite alright," said Kabuto. "I don't mind running into a beautiful woman, not to mention, one of Japan's legendary physicians under thirty. Congratulations on that," he said while grabbing two full champagne glasses from a passing waiter. Sakura smiled and accepted the new drink from him.

"Still just as charming as ever," she said. "But thank you. I don't doubt you've had your accomplishments too. What have you been doing since med school?" she asked while taking a sip.

"You could say I'm more involved in medical research at the moment. Medicine was my major for a long time, but there comes a point when modern medicine just isn't enough anymore. There are cures all over the place, we just need to find them," said Kabuto. "Needless to say, I've been traveling for the past few years,"

"I see," said Sakura. "Well I know that no one can compete with you on research," she said. "You were pretty much the top of our class in theory, and organic chemistry"

"Yes, but how can I compete with the cherry blossom prodigy that transferred into the senior class at the age of eighteen?" he said. Sakura chuckled.

"Who came up with that name for me anyway?" she asked. "No one ever told me back in college," she said.

"I think your hair did the talking," he said. Sakura pretended to feign hurt on her face. Kabuto chuckled. "But seriously," he said while looking over her appearance. "You look… absolutely stunning tonight,"

Sakura blushed a bit. "Why thank you," she said while bringing her glass up to her lips.

Kabuto was about to sip his champagne until he felt something collide with the back of his legs. His champagne spilled all over the floor as he turned around to meet with two small heads of raven hair.

"Sorry mister," said the little boy with wild raven hair. Kabuto starred down at the child. This boy had a very familiar air about him. He could only guess that the young girl next to him was his twin sister. She also had a very familiar air about her. But when she looked up at him with those big green eyes, Kabuto could only think one person…

"Sora? Suki? What are you two doing here?" said Sakura. She looked down at the spilled champagne, then back to Kabuto who was just looking at the kids. "Sorry about this Kabuto. It looks like you can't catch a break with me,"

"We were playing hid and seek Mommy," said Sora. Suki nodded. Kabuto rounded on Sakura with a surprised expression.

"These are _your _kids?" asked Kabuto as the two children went to stand by Sakura. Sora stood by his mother and Suki tried to hide behind her a bit, afraid that the man would be angry at them for hitting him.

"Yes….well" said Sakura while putting her hand on Suki's head. It was really too much trouble to correct him and say that only Sora was her child, and she definitely didn't want to hurt Suki by saying that. "Sorry about your drink," she said.

"…It's….it's no problem," said Kabuto. "I just can't believe that you're a mother,"

"Yeah well….that's life for you," she said." It's full of surprises," she said while looking down at the kids. Kabuto looked down at the children. His glasses caught the light, causing the lenses to cast a glare.

"Life huh?" said Kabuto. "It certainly is surprising. Who's the lucky guy?" he asked.

"Daddy!" said Suki. She was holding onto Sakura's dress and looking behind him. Kabuto turned in that direction and saw who she was referring too. He saw someone who was no stranger to Kabuto's knowledge. He walked right up to them and stood by Sakura. The both children moved to stand in between Sakura and the man.

Konoha Medical's renowned CEO….Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: a little earlier…**

Sakura had just left him to and "mingle" amongst her fellow physicians. He would have gone with her, hand it not been for her father preventing him from doing so. Now he was stuck and pretty much getting the third degree. Kakashi had been interrogating him for the past ten minutes or so.

"I hear you're helping Sora with his Karate," said Kakashi. "How's he doing?"

"Top of his class," said Sasuke. Kakashi nodded. Although he already knew that his grandson was the best in his class from Rock Lee's reports. Kakashi had specifically assigned Lee to the position of Sora's karate instructor. He only wanted the best Tai jutsu instructor for his grandson.

"As he should be," said Kakashi. "He takes after his mother after all," he said. Sakura was always a quick learner. Back when Sakura was taking her self-defense lessons, Guy was willing to pose as her teacher, but Kakashi preferred that he teach her himself. Although he trusted Guy completely, he didn't want Sakura to drop out of the class due to chronic green eyesore.

"Hn," said Sasuke. He was steadily scanning the room and looking for Sakura.

"You're not very talkative are you?" asked Kakashi. "You know what they say about the quiet ones," he said while looking directly him. Sasuke starred right back. "They've always got something to hide," he said. Sasuke's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but Kakashi was able to catch it.

"Daddy," said Suki. Kakashi saw the little girl tug on her father's blazer. "When can we go dancing?" she asked innocently. Kakashi saw Sasuke's expression change from defensive to warm at the sight of the little girl.

"After dinner Tenshi," said Sasuke. Suki pouted, but nodded in understanding. She then looked up at Kakashi and smiled. For the second time since he'd seen her, Kakashi couldn't get over how much she reminded him of Sakura. Those eyes were undeniably what set him back the most.

Suki left them and went to go play with the other children. Sasuke turned his attention back to Kakashi.

"I'll get right to it," said Kakashi. "My daughter and grandson mean more to me than anything else. I know about your relationship, and I want you to know, that if you hurt my daughter or put her in any danger, I'll come after you," he warned.

Sasuke didn't seem the least bit phased by Kakashi's threat. He was actually expecting it.

"My daughter is also my life," said Sasuke. "I can understand your concern for Sakura. But unlike Suki, Sakura isn't five years old," said Sasuke. Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly. "I would trust her to make her own decisions,"

"Sakura isn't the one I don't trust," said Kakashi with a stern voice. After that statement, Kakashi and Sasuke were locked in a semi-glaring contest. Kakashi was facing a challenge that was completely different from the last one. Sai was someone that Kakashi knew all about. Sasuke on the other hand, was a blank card.

"Why don't you have another drink?" said Anko who just came to stand by Kakashi's side. She handed him a glass of champagne and looped her arm through his as femininely as possible. She could smell the tension that was coming off of her date and she figured she better loosen him up a bit.

She saw that Sasuke had decided to take this opportunity to get away. As he turned to leave them, Anko froze for a bit. There, for the briefest moment, she could have sworn that she saw something black on the side of his neck.

It was only for a second, so she couldn't have been sure. But it was impossible for someone of his age to have it.

"_He's too young," _thought Anko. "_I'm going crazy. There's no way that he could have been associated with him." _She thought. She looked up at Kakashi and saw the he kept his gaze focused on Sasuke. She should have known that he wouldn't be able to bud out of his daughters business. But he must not have noticed anything unusual about Sasuke, and he had better eyes than she did.

Sasuke walked along the hall, looking for a certain pink haired someone. After weaving his way through the crowd for a bit, he still couldn't find her. The hall was just too big and there were a few too many people.

However, he did happen to see Suki and Sora running around the hall, smiling and giggling. Sasuke stood and watched the two kids play. Since the Nara twins weren't with them, Sasuke could only conclude that they were playing hide and seek. Sasuke would have smiled at the sight them playing had it not been for the fact that they bumped into someone.

That someone spilled his champagne all over the floor. When the man moved to see who hit him, Sasuke saw that Sakura was right behind him. The kids ran over to her and Sakura apologized to the man. Sasuke decided to step in and walked over to them.

"Daddy!" shouted Suki as she spotted him. Sasuke came and stood next to Sakura; Sora and Suki stood between them. Sasuke briefly glanced at the kids, and then he looked at Sakura. She gave him something of a small smile before looking back at the man.

"Sasuke Uchiha," said Kabuto. "Konoha Medical's CEO for the past nine or so years correct?" he asked. Sasuke nodded.

"Kabuto Yakushi," said Sasuke. "Accomplished research scientist/ internist. What brings you to this event," he said. Kabuto raised his glasses with his index finger as he spoke.

"I was in China on an expedition when I received a message informing me of this gathering. I was told that coming here would be of great interest to my research by keeping me updated with the latest medicinal advancements. Needless to say with the lectures this morning, I've learned more than I originally sought out to," he said staring pointedly at the four of them.

"Hn," said Sasuke in an 'I don't really care' tone. Sakura looked up at him and he could tell that she was trying hard not to roll her eyes at him.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

"So you know each other?" asked Sakura as she looked at both men.

"More like we're familiar with each other," Kabuto clarified. "It's hard not to know one of the most successful CEO's in the country," he said. "One of the top five along with Gaara and the Sunagakure medical group,"

"I used to work for them," said Sakura. She looked up at Sasuke. "Now I work for him- I mean...uh… KMC," she said while trying to restrain a blush. She knew Sasuke would have smirked right then and there, but he was too busy staring Kabuto down.

Kabuto seemed to be going back and forth between Sasuke and Sakura and the "twins". Genetics don't lie, and those two kids obviously belonged to them.

"Mommy," said Sora as he took hold of her hand. "I'm hungry,"

"Me too," said Suki with a small pout.

"Dinner is about to begin anyway," said Sasuke. "Let's go," he said.

"Okay then," said Sakura. "It was great seeing you again Kabuto," she said before Sasuke placed his hand on her back and practically forced her to begin walking.

"Likewise," said Kabuto. He locked eyes with Sasuke as he passed by him, and didn't fail to notice a sort of warning look in his eye. Sakura noticed it too.

"How exactly do you know him?" asked Sasuke in a somewhat hushed tone. The kids were walking at their sides, not really paying attention.

"We went to medical school together. He was in a few of my classes. You jealous?" she asked jokingly. She jolted when she felt his hand slid just a bit lower on her scandalously backless dress.

"…perhaps…" he said in a low tone that made her try hard not to shiver, but his hand on her bare back was like a trigger. She noticed that he kept his hand there the entire way back to their table, and only let go one they reached it.

"So you found your kids too I see," said Ino as they took their seats. Akira and Akio were sitting next to their mother with little pouts on their faces. "It was easy finding these two. All I had to do was follows the girl shouting "booger" like there was no tomorrow," she said with a disapproving look at her daughter.

"All I had to do wait for them to bump into one of my old friends from school and spill his champagne all over the floor," said Sakura while smiling at Sora and Suki.

"Who did you run into?" asked Tenten.

"Kabuto Yakushi. Remember him? He was in my chemistry class," she said. Tenten frowned.

"You mean that creepy nerd with the glaring glasses?" said Tenten. "Yeah I remember him. Although there isn't really much to remember, except for the fact that he was practically a teacher's pet," she said. "Annoying fool," she muttered. Then she silently cursed her pregnancy hormones.

After a few more minutes, dinner was served and everyone settled down to enjoy it.

Sakura took her time to observe all the people around her. Everyone was smiling and having a good time. Sora and Suki were being their adorable selves and eating their dinner as neatly as possible. She glanced over in Neji and Tenten's direction and almost giggled when she saw Neji's reaction to Tenten dipping her vegetables in ketchup.

Tsunade was probably on her seventh drink by now, and Jiraya was poking fun at Naruto about….well…erotica in general.

About a half hour went by until people began to walk onto the dance floor. The music changed into melodic dance tunes as people began to waltz across the dance floor. She then felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around and smiled to see a special someone holding out their hand for a dance.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV:**

Sasuke watched as Sakura smiled at all the dancing couples. He was debating on whether or not to ask her to dance. On the one hand, he would be able to hold her close without any question. On the other hand, he never danced. He didn't doubt his dancing ability; he just couldn't lose his face in front of the guys…or his parents for that matter.

But before he could make any choice, someone had already beaten him to it.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

Sakura smiled at her special someone.

"May I have this dance," asked Kakashi. Sakura was beaming as she nodded and took her father's hand. Together they walked to the center of the dance floor. He took her hand in his and began to gently move with the music.

"You look beautiful," said Kakashi. "Are you cold?' he asked "Because you can always wear my jacket," he said. Sakura chuckled.

"My dress isn't that backless is it? Besides," she said while smirking. "I saw Anko in an equally backless dress. Are you two….dating?" she asked.

"Well…." said Kakashi.

"Because I think it would be great," said Sakura. "I've never seen you with anyone my whole life," she said. "I think it's definitely okay for you to move on," she said.

"Well it's good to know that," said Kakashi. Sakura smiled and rested her head against his chest. "It's nice to dance with you. I haven't danced with you since you were five years old. For years, all I've done was watch you dance in your ballet recitals," he said. "I miss that,"

"I know," said Sakura. "I miss that too. I only wish that Sora had a sister so that you could watch her dance too. It would be less lonely for him too," she said.

"I've already raised one beautiful girl," he said. "And my grandson is more than what I could have asked for," he said. "Are you sure he's lonely?" he asked. Sakura sighed.

"I know he _was_," she said. "Until Suki came into the picture," said Sakura with a fond smile. "Those two are inseparable,"

"Does that go for you and Sasuke as well?" he asked. "I can only assume that when the kids are together, so are the two of you," he said.

"Sasuke's a good man," said Sakura. "And yes, I'm getting to know him better and our children are bonding. We know were walking on thin ice, but I just feel so different around him. And it's a good feeling," she said.

"There's something about him Sakura," said Kakashi. "Something that just doesn't sit well with me," he said.

"Please don't," said Sakura. "Not while I'm dancing with you. This is our time," she said. Kakashi sighed and abandoned the issue. He brought her closer to him and let her rest her head on his chest. He looked down and saw her bare back. Again, he sighed. Why did she have to wear something so revealing?

"Oh how cute, look at that," said Sakura. Kakashi turned and saw what she meant. He saw the kids dancing with each other. Sora was actually dancing with the Nara girl, although it looked more like she had forced him too judging by his small frown. And the Uchiha girl was dancing with the other Nara.

"She really does remind me of you," said Kakashi. "You were the most beautiful daughter a man could ask for…and you still are," he said. Sakura smiled.

"And you're the best daddy in the whole world," she said. Kakashi smiled. Ever since she learned how to talk coherently, that was the one thing she would say to him every day. They continued to dance to the rest of the song. Sakura twirled and smiled in her father's arms, the arms that loved her and kept her safe her whole life.

When the song ended, they pulled apart slightly and Kakashi kissed her forehead.

"Thanks for the dance," said Sakura.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: **

Sasuke was continuing with his inner battle on whether or not to dance with Sakura. Her dance with her father was over, and he saw all the other supposedly single men starring at her, just waiting for the chance with her. Needless to say, this was getting on his last nerve.

He had to make sure that no one else had to opportunity to dance with her, and if that meant that he had to do it himself, then so be it. He was about to get up and claim her to himself, when yet again, someone beat him to it.

It was that man from before, Kabuto Yakushi.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

"Care to dance with an old friend?" asked Kabuto a he held his hand out for her. Sakura quickly looked in Sasuke's direction and saw him glaring, but he didn't look like he was about to make any move to dance with her. Sasuke didn't seem like the dancing type. So Sakura smiled an accepted his hand.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV:**

Sasuke was utterly pissed off by now. She looked over at him and then just dances with someone else? What the hell was that? Was she trying to make him jealous? Well it was definitely working. He did not want her to dance with anyone else. And he really didn't like the sight of Kabuto's hand on her back, dangerously close to her ass.

Sasuke tried to contain himself, but it wasn't working. With every minute that passed, he was getting more and more peeved. He saw Kabuto pull her a little closer to himself, and that was the last straw. Sasuke immediately got up from the table, and briskly walked over to them.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

She felt awkward dancing with Kabuto. The glare on his glasses was starting to get to her eyes, and he was way too close to her for her liking. And only now was she regretting her backless dress at the feel of his clammy hands on her back.

"Are you okay?" asked Kabuto.

"Oh…yes," said Sakura. "Everything's fine," she said while trying to smile for him. But she couldn't help but feel like a horrible person for wishing that she was dancing with Sasuke instead of Kabuto.

Kabuto twirled her around and brought her back into place, when he felt a firm pressure on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Sasuke standing there with a stoic expression on his face.

"I'm cutting in," said Sasuke firmly. Kabuto lifted his glasses with his finger and nodded.

"Of course," he said. He turned the Sakura. "It was a pleasure to dance with you," he said before turning away and walking off the dance floor. Sasuke immediately took her into his arms and began to sway to the music.

"That was a little direct of you," said Sakura as she placed her arms around his shoulders.

"Hn," said Sasuke.

"Why'd you decide to cut in?" she asked ignoring the "Hn". "You don't strike me as the type to dance," she said while giggling at him.

"I wasn't about to let someone else touch you," Said Sasuke with a bit of ferocity in his voice. Sakura was a little surprised at the possessiveness he was displaying. He had a firm hold on her, and his demeanor was giving off a territorial air, that was making them seem unapproachable.

"A little possessive don't you think?" asked Sakura. "No one knows I'm seeing you. What would they think if saw us together like this?"

"Then they'll know that your mine," Said Sasuke. Sakura blushed a bit and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm yours?" asked Sakura. "Since when?" she asked while trying to sound unaffected.

"Since now," he said roughly while pulling her closer to himself. His right hand was on her lower back and his left hand held her upper back in place. Her arms remained on top of his shoulders.

"How can they be so sure?" asked Sakura. "My father doesn't seem to think that you have what it takes to be with me. What will you do to prove him wrong?" she asked provokingly. "What would you do to prove that I'm really yours…Mr. Uchiha?"

As soon as she said that, Sasuke pulled her so close that there was no free space left in between them. Sakura gasped as she looked up into his eyes and saw sheer determination. Something inside him became unleashed, and it looked like Sasuke was determined to prove something to her.

His hand moved up along her bare back, feeling the smooth skin underneath it, and came to rest at her hip. He leaned in, catching the scent of white cherry blossoms, and whispered in her ear.

"In front of all these people," said Sasuke. "In front of our friends and family and in front of our kids…I'll kiss you with everything I've got," he said while lightly squeezing her hip. Sakura shivered as her heart began to pump more blood to her face, increasing her modest blush and making her eyelids heavy.

Sasuke pulled away enough to look directly into her emerald eyes, with his classic smirk. Sakura looked up at him and smirked; she stood on her toes and whispered in his ear.

"I dare you," she said slowly. She came back to face Sasuke, but couldn't move any father back, seeing as how he wouldn't let her.

He knew they had an audience. He didn't even have to look away from her to know that everyone they knew was watching them. He could practically feel her father's glare and internally smirked.

But this wasn't about them. This was about the woman in his arms, and he was about to make it known to all that she was _his._

Sakura looked up at him with heavy eyelids and saw as his face came closer to hers. The music began to fade away in her mind, and all that she was able to focus on was him. He paused right before his lips were about to make contact with hers and smirked.

"You're mine," he whispered before lunging at her and capturing her lips in a solid and fierce kiss. Sakura melted under the impact and passion that was put into the kiss. She closed her eyes and held onto him with both arms secure around his neck. Sasuke held onto her with no intention of letting her go anytime soon. Sakura didn't know where the possessiveness came from, but right now, she wasn't' complaining.

* * *

**Mystery Dudes' POV: **

That was it! That was the last straw. He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't stand the thought of another man kissing her. She was really pushing his limits. He decided to take action right then and there. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his agent's number.

"Get them! Get them right now and get out of here!" he said to the agent on the phone before immediately hanging up. He was fuming at this point. He saw his agent, disguised as the champagne server, head to his targets.

Those targets were not Sasuke and Sakura on the dance floor….

He watched as his agent came to stand behind two small heads of raven hair.

Sakura would pay for her ignorance…and what better way than by taking her children away from her.

He took out a remote from his coat sleeve and pushed a button, causing all the lights in the Hotel Granvia Ballroom to shut down, casting a blanket of darkness and confusion to consume the room.

In the dark of the night, the man escaped as fast as he could, knowing that his agent was coming back with his latest two _twin _test subjects.

* * *

**Authors Note: **

**This chapter is dedicated to my good friend and fanfic buddy for life, Darkpetaltaki **

**My good friend DARKPETALTAKI has this awesome fic out there called "TOGETHER". Believe me when I say that this fic has great Sasuke and Sakura moments, full of twists and turns, and a great plotline. If you are a fan of Sasuke and Sakura, then you'll check it out. READ IT, READ IT I SAY! SHE'S BRILLIANT I TELL YOU!**


	19. Hope and Desire

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 19: Hope and Desire**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

"You're mine," he whispered before Sakura was taken by his searing kiss. He wasn't kidding when he said he'd kiss her with everything he's got. She was left breathless and closed her eyes and held onto him as his lips welded together with hers. At that moment, they were neither aware, nor did they care about who was watching them.

Sakura was in near total surrender to his kiss, when all of the sudden, the lights to the ballroom shut down.

* * *

**Mystery dude 2's POV:**

He inconspicuously made his way over to the two small children that were watching their parents dancing. He briefly took a glance at said parents and gave a sneer of distaste at the sight of them kiss. It seems like the entire ballroom became an audience to the scene, and that worked out just perfectly for him.

Once he was within a foot of the children, the lights went down…and that was his signal.

He quickly bent down and, struck both children behind the junction of the head and cervical vertebrae, aiming for the cerebellum causing their bodies to go limp within seconds. He would have applied pressure to their carotid sinuses, but he was told to bring the children back with minimal damage.

He caught the two children before they hit the ground and tossed them over each shoulder. The ballroom was pitch black and filled with the murmurs of the guests. According to his schedule, he had approximately three minutes to get out of the ballroom before the backup generators would take effect.

He made his was stealthily out of the ballroom, dodging every one that came within his way, and successfully exited the premises.

* * *

**Normal POV: **

Sasuke and Sakura broke apart from their kiss and looked around. Sasuke still had a firm grip on her and looked around, trying to assess the situation.

"A power outage?" asked Sakura. "Where are the kids?" she asked as she tried to look around. It was so dark; she couldn't even see Sasuke right in front of her. There was an announcement on the overhead speakers that came on.

"_Ladies and Gentleman, please remain calm. We are currently experiencing a power outage. The backup generators shall take effect within three minute. Please remain standing where you are as the generator takes effect." _

This message was ignored by the CIA members in the room. To them, this was considered a suspicious occurrence, and everyone was on high alert. Kakashi was speaking through his hidden communicator in his tie.

"Report your positions," said Kakashi. He and Anko stood by and waited for the responses.

"Neji, west wing," came Neji's response.

"Shikamaru, west wing," said Shikamaru.

"Naruto, east wing," said Naruto.

"Any activity?" asked Kakashi as he and Anko carefully maneuvered through the crowd.

"Negative," was his response from the three of them. Kakashi listened and waited to hear from the other agents. No response came, but the electricity came back on and illuminated the ballroom once more. People were buzzing about and discussing the strange occurrence, but were gradually going back to the festivities, all except Sasuke and Sakura that is.

"Where are the kids?" asked Sakura as she looked around. Sasuke did the same as he scanned the area. He couldn't see Sora or Suki.

"Let's check with everyone else. They might be at the table," said Sasuke as he took her hand and guided her there. Sakura nodded and followed. They made their way over to the table where Ino and Tenten were sitting.

"Do you guys know where Sora and Suki are?" asked Sakura.

"I thought I saw them by the dance floor," said Tenten as she eyed them strangely. "They're not there anymore?" she asked as she looked in that direction.

"That's where I saw them too," said Ino. "They must have gotten scared and are hiding somewhere," she said. She gave Sakura a sort of smirking look before turning to the twins. "Akio and Akira, did you guys see where Sora and Suki are?" she asked. Both kids shook their heads.

"No Mommy," said Akira. "They were over there," she said while pointing at the dance floor. Sakura frowned and looked up at Sasuke.

"Why don't we just go look for them?" said Sakura. Sasuke was still scanning the room from where he stood, and he was still holding her hand. "Sasuke they might have just gotten scared and are hiding somewhere like Ino said," she said.

"Hn," said Sasuke. "I'll check this side, you check the other," he said. Sakura nodded and headed off to look by the dance floor, while Sasuke went near the doors.

"Sora…Suki?" said Sakura in a slightly raised voice as she quickly walked around the room. She walked around as quickly as she could and looked everywhere. They weren't in sight, and it was beginning to scare her. She saw her father and Anko and walked over to them.

"Daddy," said Sakura. He quickly turned to her. "You haven't seen Sora or Suki around have you?" she asked while looking around them.

"No, I haven't," said Kakashi. "You can't find them?" he asked with concern.

"Well no," said Sakura. "Sasuke and I think they might be hiding because the lights went out, but I just can't seem to find them anywhere. They could be lost around here, or they could have wandered off somewhere," she said with slight panic in her voice.

"Sakura, where did you last see them?" he asked. "We can get the hotel staff to help find them if they wandered off," he said while giving Anko a look. She nodded her head and turned to the side, secretly giving an alert to the rest of the member's trough her ear rings.

"I think they were near the dance floor," she said. "That's where everyone else saw them," she said while looking back at the dance area.

"Don't worry, we'll look for them too," said Kakashi, indicating Anko and himself.

"Okay," said Sakura. "I'm going to look around more," she said. She turned and began to circle the ballroom again. Once she was out of ear shot, Kakashi got on his receiver again and sounded an alert to Itachi and his group, who were out surveying the perimeter.

"Uchiha, status report" said Kakashi into his mic. A static noise came on before Itachi's voice came forward.

"Perimeters clear. Now infiltrating exteriorly," said Itachi. From the outside, Itachi, Kankuro, Temari and Gaara had all gone outside to search for an external cause. The CIA never took anything lightly.

"Main precedence is now my grandson, and your niece," said Kakashi. "Sakura can't' find them. I want those who aren't infiltrating to search for them," he said. From the other side, Itachi paused at the news as concern now took over. He pushed it aside as he changed his task to the kids now.

"Yes," said Itachi. "Right away" he said as he shut communications off.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV:**

"No Sasuke, I haven't seen Suki" said Mikoto. "I thought she was with the other children," she said as she looked up at Fugaku. Sasuke scanned the room, looking for any trace of Suki or Sora as his parents exchanged looks.

"She was," said Sasuke while looking around the room again. Something didn't feel right. Sasuke knew Suki was afraid of the dark, and if there was a power outage she would have screamed her lungs out. And he would have heard her if she was near the dance floor.

"She's probably just hiding somewhere. Perhaps she's with Dr. Haruno's son," said Fugaku. "They couldn't have wandered off to far,"

"We can't find Sora either," said Sasuke with growing concern. If he couldn't spot Suki immediately, then there was a problem.

* * *

**Mystery Dude 2's POV:**

He made his way through the corridors and avoided as many people as he could. The lights had just come back on, and luckily, this corridor was empty. He needed to get out of here, and he needed to do it quickly. He couldn't be caught roaming the halls with two young, not to mention unconscious children on his shoulders.

His leader was probably making a beeline for the exit right now. A pathetic man in his opinion, though he knew that he could relate him to him with his obsession for vengeance.

He briefly looked down at the two children on his shoulders. The little girl, whose hair was swinging freely as he ran, had a pained look on her face. Perhaps he struck her too hard. Regardless, she was still knocked out, and that's all he needed at the moment.

The little boy however, gave him an almost nostalgic feeling. There was something about him that was so familiar, but he just didn't know what. That bastard Sasuke came to mind as he looked at the boy; however, there was just something more here; something that was drawing at his memory. Anyway, that didn't matter right now.

He needed to focus on the task at hand, and that was escaping.

As he was about to make a turn around a corner, he stopped. He heard movement up ahead and hid behind a pillar in the shadows. Now was not the time to be caught. By the sound of the footsteps, there were two people coming this way. He listened as they spoke.

"They're missing?" said the voice of a man. "I'll have the area scouted immediately" Mystery dude craned his neck over to get a glimpse of the man. His eyes went wide, before scrutinizing the figure closely. For brief second, he thought it was Sasuke but at a closer look, he saw that the man only looked like him.

He seemed a little older, with longer hair tied in a ponytail, and lines going from beneath his eyes. "_This must be the other Uchiha, Itachi_," thought mystery dude as he leaned back against the pillar. Itachi was there with another man, with red hair and dark circles around his eyelids.

"All corners of the building are secure including the roof," said the red headed man. "If the children are still here, they can't escape," he said with a low, menacing voice. Mystery dude furrowed his eyebrows, and he tried to remain hidden.

Judging by the way these men were talking, they seemed to be part of the police force, or something on a higher level of law enforcement. They spoke through hidden communication systems, and displayed body language that suggested they were on a covert mission. This had CIA written all over it.

"_Damn," _thought mystery dude, "_to think that they would be here!" _he thought as he watched the men take off in the other direction. This made his job a little tougher, and he briefly wondered why his "leader" had failed to mention anything about them.

* * *

**Back in the ballroom…Sakura's POV:**

Sakura grew more nervous as she circled the ballroom once more. The kids were nowhere in sight; something was wrong. Deciding that this was enough, she immediately headed over to Sasuke, who was speaking with hotel personnel.

"Sasuke!" said Sakura as she approached him. He turned to her and saw her anxious form come to him. "They're just not here, I looked everywhere!" she said with panic in her voice. Sasuke briefly glanced over the ballroom as he spoke to her.

"I'm checking the halls. Clearly they're not in here," said Sasuke with steely eyes. He saw Naruto make his way through the crowd to get to them.

"Sasuke, Sakura," said Naruto as he approached them. "You still can't find them?" he asked as he walked up to them.

"No," said Sasuke. "I'm going up to the floors," he said.

"I'm coming with you," said Naruto. Sasuke only nodded.

"I should go to," said Sakura.

"No," said Sasuke as he turned to face her. "You stay here in case they come back,"

"The hell I will!" said Sakura with a determined face. "Something's not right here Sasuke, they couldn't have possibly left the ballroom while it was pitch black"

"They could still be in here," said Sasuke. "Just stay here in case they do come back," he said as he turned to leave with Naruto. Sakura gaped at him a bit, but decided not to retaliate to his retreating form. He had a point after all. She couldn't let her worrying get to her, but where could they possibly be?

* * *

**Mystery Dude (kidnapper) POV:**

He was now near his target escape route along the south wing's shopping area. The plan was to escape through the roof of the shopping district, which was covered by hundreds of glass frames, each one came with a latch, making it quite easy to unlock and escape. Hotel security sucked, regardless of its prestige. However, the snow fall would definitely leave a trail behind.

"mmmm" came the voice from the girl as she began to shift in his arms. That wasn't a good sign. He quickened his pace to the center of the shopping district. As he ran, the girl was getting more and more fidgety. Not only that, but the boy seemed to be waking up as well.

"_That blow to the head should have kept them out longer than this_," thought the kidnapper. "_These kids are tougher than I thought,"_ he thought as he kept running. If anything, he could resort to the sedative shots if they fully woke up.

"Mommy…," mumbled the little boy in his half-conscious state. He was waking up, and feeling the effects of getting hit in the head. This wasn't good. Suddenly, the kidnapper heard the shuffling of footsteps coming his way. Sounded like two or three people.

"Daddy," mumbled the little girl. She began to shift around in his grasp, making it harder to run with them.

He cursed. The footsteps were getting closer, and he knew that there wouldn't be time to get them out of here. There was no choice. He had to abandon the mission.

"Suki!" said Sasuke's voice. He must have been right around the corner, judging by the volume of his voice. The kidnapper glared at the direction of his voice as he dropped the kids on the floor and loaded his grappling gun. His leader wasn't going to be too thrilled, but that wasn't his problem right now.

Looking back down at the kids once more, the kidnapper loaded his gun and fired up towards the ceiling, where one glass pane was left open. The gun shot up and latched onto the outer surface of the ceiling, then tightened.

As he reeled himself up the wire of the gun, the kidnappers eyes were concentrated on the little boy and girl, whose faces seemed to trigger something within his memories. One, he knew, was the child of his lost love, and therefore the object of innocent torment to his soul. But the other, seemed to be something more than that.

That boy's face…was Sasuke's…but not quite.

As he jumped up through the open pane, he quickly shot his grappling gun again and launched off the roof.

Mission…failed

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: **

"Suki!" he shouted as he ran through the corridors. He heard a faint sound, like something was...shot, and quickly darted into that direction. Naruto ran right after him, having also heard the sound.

"Sound came from over there, "said Naruto. However Sasuke didn't listen. He just continued to run down the hall to the entrance of the shopping district, and it was then that he saw something in the distance. Sasuke focused his eyes, and saw that something that made him both relieved, and worried.

Sora and Suki were there, on the floor, and barely moving. He saw Suki look up and right at him.

"Suki!" shouted Sasuke as he increased his speed and ran over to them. Suki looked up at him with tears welled up in her eyes and held her small arms out to him.

"Daddy," she said as her father came to her and swept her up into his arms. Suki held onto his neck and began to cry. Relief flooded through him for a brief second to know that he had found them, now all he had to do was get back to Sakura.

Naruto as he picked up Sora. Sora himself looked to be on the verge of tears, but he was trying to hold them in. "You okay?" asked Naruto. Sora only responded by whimpering and leaning his head down.

"Suki," said Sasuke. "How did you get down here?" he asked. Suki only continued to cry as she held onto him tighter. Sasuke, who knew he wasn't going to get any answers at the moment, held her close and looked around their surroundings.

"We should get back Sasuke," said Naruto. "Sakura would want to know they're okay," he said while looking around the place as well. He looked back at Sasuke, who as staring intently at the high ceiling. "What's up?" he asked as he looked up at the ceiling too.

"….Nothing," said Sasuke as he went from looking up at the ceiling, to down on the ground. That's where he saw something that just didn't seem right. A few shards of glass were on the floor. That was suspicious enough for him. He looked up at the sound of Sora's whimpers and went over to him.

"He seems pretty shook up," said Naruto as Sora whimpered into his chest. Sasuke came and placed a hand upon Sora's head. Sora turned to look at Sasuke, and that's when he saw it; a small cut on the side of Sora's head, and it was bleeding a little. Some glass must have cut him.

"Mommy," said Sora as he whimpered into Naruto's chest. "I want my Mommy," he said as he continued to whimper.

Sasuke took one last look around before deciding to leave. He needed to get Sora back to his mother, and also figure out an explanation for this incident. None of this made sense.

* * *

**Back in the ballroom…**

Kakashi's communicator went off.

"Have you found them?" asked Kakashi in a rough whisper. Its' been about twenty minutes since the kids were missing, and Sakura was in a state of panic. She was yet again, circling the ballroom hurriedly and calling out for Sora and Suki.

"_We found them_," came Gaara's voice. "_In the shopping district near the south gate…and it doesn't look like they wandered off here on their own,_"

Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows. "…..I see," said Kakashi. "Get them back here now!" he said as he hung up the communication. He turned to Anko, who was standing right behind him.

"We found them," said Kakashi. He looked up over at Sakura, who was now standing near the entrance along with Temari and Hinata, who were trying to calm her down.

"Better go tell her before she loses it," said Anko. "And give me your jacket, I feel naked in this damn dress," she said as she forcefully yanked his coat right off him and placed it on herself. Kakashi gave her a slightly disappointed look, but left it alone as he headed over to Sakura.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

"I'm sure they found the kids by now," said Temari, who already knew via the communicator in her ear ring, but tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Then why aren't the here?" snapped Sakura, making Hinata jump a bit at her tone. Sakura sighed and placed her fingers at the bridge of her nose. "Sorry…I'm just worried right now," she said.

"It's okay Sakura" said Hinata. "Everyone's on it," she said. She saw a figure approaching them in her peripheral vision and turned her head to see that it was Kakashi, but before he could get to them, she heard Naruto call out to Sakura.

"Sakura!" shouted Naruto. Sakura turned her head in his direction and gave out a short breath of relief when she saw that he and Sasuke had the kids with them.

"Sora!" said Sakura as she quickly made her way towards them. Sora turned her head towards his mother's voice and saw her rush over to him. Sakura took Sora from Naruto and hugged him close.

"Mommy," said Sora as she hugged her back and buried his face on her shoulder. Sakura had both arms wrapped around him and felt relief wash over her.

"Sora," she said as she kissed his head. "Sweetie where did you go?" she asked as she knelt down and patted his head. She took a look at Sasuke, who was holding a crying Suki close and trying to comfort her. She looked back down at Sora and gasped.

"Sora what happened to you?" she asked as she turned his head to see that small cut on the side of his forehead that was bleeding a bit. Sora immediately tried to turn away so she couldn't see it.

"…I don't know," said Sora as he went to hug her again. As Sakura tried to get a better view of the cut, Sora resisted more and more, only hugging her tighter and whining. Tsunade, who was miraculously not drunk, came and knelt by them. She took Sora's head and turned him to face her. When it came to Sora, Mommy was one thing, but Grandma was another.

"Let me see your head," said Tsunade. Sora sniffled but obeyed his Grandmother as she inspected his head. Sakura held Sora as Tsunade traced the edge of the cut with one of her perfectly manicured red nails. Sora flinched as her fingers traced the cut.

"I'll need to clean that cut," said Tsunade. Sakura nodded in agreement. She then felt something tossed onto her shoulders and saw that it was someone's coat. She turned around to see that it was Gaara who tossed his coat onto her back.

"Gaara?" asked Sakura. Gaara simply stood behind her and gave her a blank stare, silently commanding her to keep the coat on. Her dress was _too_ low cut for his liking, and having her bend down like that was pushing it, especially with all the male attention she was unknowingly receiving.

"Thank you," she said as she sort of rolled her eyes at his big brother mannerisms.

"Let's take him back to your room" said Tsunade as she still held Sora's face in her hands. She looked at Sora with a soft expression. "Grandmas going to make it all better, just like I always do, okay?" she said. Sora sniffled and nodded as he turned to hug Sakura again.

Sakura looked over at Suki again and saw that she was still teary eyed.

Sakura stood up and placed to coat more securely around her before picking up Sora and carrying him towards Sasuke and Suki. Sasuke was stroking her hair as she rested her cheek against his chest.

"Suki," said Sakura as she approached her. Suki looked down at her. Sakura smiled at her and gave Suki a kiss on the cheek. "Are you okay sweetie?" she asked. Suki shook her head and sniffled. "Aww it's going to be ok. You're here now," she said as she ran her hand through Suki's hair. Suki hiccupped a bit and Sakura moved her hand to hold Suki's smaller one to give it an assuring squeeze.

Sasuke would have smiled at the sight of Suki being comforted, had he not been preoccupied with a larger issue. He glanced down at Sora, who was resting his head on his mother's shoulder. That injury and the glass on the floor added up to something. Sasuke studied Sora.

He was clutching onto the coat that was placed on Sakura (that Sasuke was secretly glad for), as if afraid to let go of her. His face was buried into her shoulder, as if he was trying to forget something, or hide. The way he was whimpering and making faces indicated that he seemed to be in some discomfort, as if he had a head ache of sorts.

And one other question….why were Sora and Suki found on the floor, as if they were waking up from a nap?

That question disturbed Sasuke the most; the thought that Sora and Suki weren't conscious at any time during that blackout. Someone took them.

"Sasuke," said Sakura, snapping him out of his concentration. He looked down at her concerned face. "Where were they?" she asked. Sasuke, not wanting to really discuss anything until he figured things out, didn't reply.

"Sasuke," said Sakura in a slight warning tone.

"Later," said Sasuke. "Let's just get them back to the suites," he said as he shifted Suki in his arms. Sakura silently agreed as she placed a kiss on top of Sora's head. The two parents walked out of the ballroom along with Tsunade, Kakashi, Itachi and Gaara, who lingered behind them a bit.

* * *

**Itachi's POV: **

Itachi examine the sight, memorizing every detail. Neji and Shikamaru were with him, taking in the sight as well. To any ordinary person, the area would have been just a space in the shopping district. But when you're a CIA agent, an ordinary scene can be broken down into several specific and crucial points that tell a story.

"It doesn't add up," said Shikamaru. "It couldn't have been a targeted kidnapping, yet the clues are too suspicious. Sora and Suki shouldn't be of anymore "value" to anyone in particular. Sora may be the Commanders grandson, but Suki isn't," he said.

"We need to know two things," said Neji. "The motive, and the true target," he said as he examined a piece of glass from the floor. He placed the glass in a small plastic bag and pocketed it. He then looked up at the glass paned roof, which was covered in snow.

"The pattern on the snow seems irregular at that particular glass pane," said Neji as he pointed to it. He placed a special set of shades on that magnified that particular glass pane. "Someone was up there, and not too long ago," he said. He zoomed in extra close and his shades traced faint outlines of foot prints. "However, the snowfall won't help us now,"

Itachi remained calm, but on the inside, he was furious. To think that anyone would even dare to go near his niece was making it hard to function. Protecting his family was the reason why he joined the CIA. He gave up a life of his own and sworn complete loyalty to the force, regardless of what anyone thought of him. Shikamaru speaking interrupted his rage.

"In any case, the fact that there was a supposed attempt to take Sora and the fact that the current case we've re-opened revolves around his father is just too concurrent," he said. "I can't see any connection to the two cases, however I don't believe in coincidence. Suki being involved just makes it more of a dead end to me,"

"Suki being involved in this…," said Itachi as he slowly turned to them. "…just opens up more possibilities," he said vaguely.

"There are always more possibilities, and the only other one I can think of seems improbable," said Shikamaru.

"So you're thinking this might have been a targeted action," said Neji. "And if that's the case, then regardless of the secret identities, someone out there knows the true identity of our commander, and probably that of many more agents as well," he said.

"Which would suggest a security breech in the agency," said Shikamaru. They all tensed at the very thought, but it was looking very possible at the moment.

If, and only if this is targeted, then that meant the worst. Someone had hacked into the CIA mainframe. That person now had an unknown amount of dangerous info that could possible destroy them.

* * *

**Back in Sakura's suite: **

"Hold still Sora," Tsunade ordered as she cleansed his wound with an alcohol pad. Since Sora had been accident free lately, Sakura had forgotten to stock up on sting free alcohol pads. Sora continued to fidget as the burning alcohol sunk into his cut.

"Sora just let her finish," said Sakura, who was holding Sora in her lap. He was still a little upset, and all he wanted to do at this point was hug his Mommy close. Sasuke and Suki had gone into their own suite for the time being.

Kakashi didn't see the need for them to be here as of this moment. What was important was to tend to Sora, and see that he was okay. While Tsunade tended to his wounds, Kakashi and Gaara stepped out to the balcony. The cold winter air was bracing and perfect to keep their minds sharp.

"What did Itachi have to say about this?" asked Kakashi as he dug his hands into his pockets and leaned against the railing casually. "I can imagine his concern for Suki would lead to either a more precise objective, or a tainted one,"

Gaara folded his arms across his chest and stared out into the white December night sky. "Uchiha's theory is that the suspect has it in for one of you," he said. "More precisely, he's got it in for either you Commander, or Itachi himself," he specified.

"And that's purely on the basis of the kidnapped persons involved; Sora and Suk," Kakashi noted "The fact that both the kids were taken throws us off, leaving us unable to narrow it down," He looked up at the night's sky. "I thought I had the best security for them. Even so…something like this happens," he lamented.

"Something that you know we have to play off as nothing for the time being," said Gaara. Kakashi nodded and sighed.

"That's something I'm quite accustomed to," said Kakashi "Sometimes I hate myself for lying to Sakura," he said heavily.

"…What she doesn't know can't hurt her," said Gaara "Pain is something she shouldn't have to feel…," he said vaguely. Kakashi eyed him before looking back up at the sky.

"I know," said Kakashi. "No one has gone through more measures to protect her than I have. But that couldn't have been done with your help. I'm grateful to you and your family for looking after her when she was a med student" he said.

"Sakura is family," said Gaara. "Don't forget that I'll do what it takes to protect her…with or without your orders," he said as he stared hard into the night's sky. Kakashi chuckled and pulled out his favorite book that was hidden in his coat.

"…I don't like Uchiha," Gaara added. Kakashi swiftly turned his head to him and closed the book. "There's something about him I just don't like," he said firmly.

"Enlighten me," said Kakashi. Gaara turned his hard eyes to Kakashi.

"Just seems like there's more to him than meets the eye," said Gaara. "Unlike the rest of you, I'm not ruling out the abduction of his daughter as a coincidence,"

"You think they might have been targeting Sasuke," said Kakashi.

"I think," said Gaara. "…that he's going to be under my radar. You can assign the rest to someone else. Let _me_ investigate Uchiha," said Gaara. Kakashi said nothing as he silently agreed to do so. For one thing, it would save him time trying to figure out the new man in his daughter's life. And on the other hand, there was no one better for the job than Subaku no Gaara. He was just as protective of Sakura as Kakashi himself was.

"I'll leave him to you then," said Kakashi.

* * *

**Sakura's Suite:**

After Tsunade had left, Sasuke had come back with Suki, who insisted on seeing her Aunty Sakura.

Sakura remained sitting on the couch with both Suki and Sora, who clung to her like their life depended on it. Suki had long since stopped crying and was barely awake. Sora on the other hand, just looked upset. Sakura looked up at the clock, it was nearing midnight and the kids needed to sleep.

"Time for bed," she announced as she ran her fingers through both their hair. The kids barely made a move to get up, still wanting to enjoy being with Sakura and her warmth. "We have to go home tomorrow. You're going to need your sleep,"

"mmm mmm," mumbled Sora as he shook his head and cuddled with her even closer. He didn't want to leave her at all; not after what happened. Suki did the same. Both of them didn't want to leave the comfort she was giving.

From his place in the balcony, Sasuke could see Sakura on the couch with the kids. The sight was just too perfect for him. Leaning back on the railing, Sasuke looked at the three of them, and couldn't help but think that this was something that he wanted to see every day.

The five minutes he had with Sakura tonight were definitely not enough for him. He wanted more; much more from her. He wanted all of her. But most of all, he wanted her to be there for Suki, and she was.

Sasuke made his way inside and closed the sliding glass door shut. He came over to the couch and kneeled before Sakura and the kids. Their sleepy faces rested comfortably on Sakura's shoulders as she gently stroked their heads. Sasuke checked his watch and figured that they should get back to their suite.

"Tenshi," said Sasuke as he placed his hand on her head. "We need to go now," said Sasuke. Suki slowly shook her head and mumbled.

"I don't want to go Daddy," she said sleepily, yet desperately as she slung to Sakura and buried her face in her chest. Sakura smiled and kissed Suki's head.

"You need to sleep," said Sasuke as Suki gave a small yawn. Suki still shook her head and held onto Sakura.

"mmm mmm," said Suki. Sora looked up from the other side of Sakura. Truthfully, he felt very safe with his mother, but he felt even safer if Sasuke was around.

"Why don't you sleep here with me and Sora? Would you like that Suki?" asked Sakura.

"Uh huh," said Suki. She looked up at Sasuke and he nodded his head. He leaned forward and gave Suki a kiss on her forehead.

"Okay," said Sasuke as he stood up to leave.

"Daddy, stay here too!" shouted Suki as her small hand reached out for him. "Don't leave me," she pleaded fearfully as one hand clung to his sleeve while the other clung to Sakura. Sakura smiled at the small girl and gave Sasuke a look that told him it was okay if he wanted to.

"Sleep next to us Daddy I'm scared," she said. Sora shifted on Sakura's other side. Although he didn't want to show it, he was scared to, and he didn't want Sasuke to leave. He felt safer with him around. Sasuke shifted his gaze to the boy, then back to Suki.

"I'm too big to fit here with all of you," said Sasuke. "I can't sleep here Tenshi," said Sasuke. Although he didn't want to leave her feeling scared, there was no way that he would be able to sleep with all of them, let alone bring that awkwardness to bed. Sakura, who sensed his struggle, opted to help him out.

"It's okay Suki," said Sakura. "I'll be right here next to you all night. You don't have to feel scared,"

"But what if something bad happens Mommy?" asked Sora. "Who's going to protect us?"

"I will," said Sasuke. Sora looked up at Sasuke as Sakura held him closer to her. "I'll be in the next room on the couch, so you don't have to be afraid," he said. Although he was still scared, Sora nodded and put on a brave face. They got up and moved to Sora's bedroom. Sasuke watched them leave, before making his way to the couch for the night.

* * *

**Kakashi's Suite:**

The floor of the suit was clean, save for the articles of clothing that lay forgotten there. A trail consisting of a tie, a coat, high heeled shoes, a shirt, a belt, socks, a dress, and then a pair of pants all lead to the main bedroom of Kakashi Hatakes's suite. The owner of the suite was currently under the covers with his lady after a heated night of "problem solving".

"After all I put you through, you shouldn't be able to think anymore," said Kakashi as he planted a trail of kisses along her neck, down to her bare shoulder. Anko chuckled and turned to face him.

"After all _you've_ been through tonight, you shouldn't have the ability to mess with my head," she replied "I would have thought you'd spend more time with the investigation,"

"There's a time and a place for that," he said, pulling her against his chest. "But you honestly think I can't tell when something's on your mind?" he said as his lean muscular arm tightened its hold on her.

"Sensitivity is over rated. You know that don't you?" said Anko as she gave him an exhausted smirk. She ran her fingers over his bracing arm, tracing the ANBU tattoo that still graced his biceps. His tattoo was a symbol of strength, whereas hers was just an eyesore of her past.

Kakashi noticed her actions and knew she was thinking about her "curse seal" again. He understood that. He understood that that part of her past was difficult to get over, and ultimately what gave her that fiercely independent personality of hers.

"You sure there's nothing you want to say?" he asked as he caressed her back. Anko didn't say anything. Sure she was thinking about her tattoo, but it wasn't just hers she was thinking about. She kept wondering about that brief glance at Sasuke Uchiha's neck, but she couldn't let her emotions show.

Her "Man Candy" was a little too smart. He could read her like a book, and regardless of how much it pissed her off at times, she still loved him. So she decided to distract him in the way that always works best: Seduce him again. She quickly flipped her body over him and landed with a smoldering kiss. Kakashi's hands slide along her hips and over her back before they came to the side of her face as they pulled apart.

"There is something you should know," she said as her lips barely separated from his. "Icha Icha Paradise's got nothing on me," she said as she kissed him again, fully prepared to make Icha Icha look like child's play. Kakashi could only succumb to her addicting touch.

Truly, his favorite novel had nothing on Anko Mitarashi.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Sakura's eye fluttered open only to be greeted by a small hand that was covering her left eye. Smiling, she gently lifted Sora's hand off her face and placed it beside him, but not before giving it a small kiss first. The next thing she had to work on was Suki, who was curled up at her side and clinging to Sakura's abdomen.

"These kids," she mumbled as she carefully detangled herself from Suki's grasp. She brushed the hair from Suki's eyes to the side, and then placed a kiss on her forehead. As she got up and off the bed, she checked the clock and saw that it was still very early: 6:15 to be exact. White winter clouds covered the sky as delicate amount of snow could be seen falling from them, filling the room with soft winter lighting. Sakura got up and stretched her muscles as she lazily walked out of the bedroom and into the living room.

"_I need to shower_," she thought as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. There was still so much packing to do before they left for Tokyo. She crossed the threshold and passed the foyer, only to stop mid-step at the sight of the figure that was still asleep on her couch.

Sakura brought her hands down and debated whether or not she should approach him, or just keep walking and shower.

Her body didn't seem to let her choose as it began to move her closer to the man on her couch. She walked slowly, carefully approaching him as if he could wake up at any second. She didn't want him to wake up. As a matter of fact…

"_This is the first time I've seen him asleep,"_ she thought as she stood before him. The entire suite was heated enough, but it would still be cold if you weren't covered. Sasuke didn't even have a blanket, only his clothes. Sakura gaze traveled from his feet, up to his abdomen, then finally his face.

He had removed his tux coat and his shirt was unbuttoned, exposing him in all his muscular glory; much to her now racing hormones guilty pleasure.

"_I should just keep walking….but,"_ thought Sakura. She knelt beside him and watched him sleep for a bit. His face was so angelic when he was asleep. Those defined features that molded him into the epitome of strength during the day seemed to soften down to its simplest form right now. Sasuke was such a powerful looking man, that it seems almost impossible for him to rest. Yet here he was, asleep on her couch.

If feelings could grow stronger just by gazing at their face, then that was what was happening now.

His chicken hair was slightly covering part of his face, making him seem all the more childlike. But his undeniably adult body was hard to override. Sakura's hands felt the need to explore those chiseled abdominal muscles that were calling out to her, tempting her.

"_Why did I have to be a six pack kind of girl?"_ she asked herself as she restrained herself from touching them. She instead went back up to his face. She slowly brought her hands to his forehead, hoping to move the bangs out of the way. But before she did, she stopped at the sight of that strange tattoo on the side of his neck.

With his neck craned out like that, it was clearly visible.

"_Such a strange mark_. _I wonder if it stands for anything_," she thought as her hand hovered above it. "…_a flower? Or maybe some kind of pyramid?" _she thought. "_And what's with the circle around it? Looks like a stamp of some sort," _

Just as she was about to trace the contour of the tattoo, she was quickly caught off guard when his eyes snapped open. He grabbed her hand and used the other as leverage to flip them over, pinning her down securely.

Sakura yelped at the sudden move as her back made contact with the couch beneath them. She opened her eyes wide and saw Sasuke hovering above her, panting slightly as he took control of their position.

"Sakura…" he exhaled as he tilted his head down and let out small breath of relief to compose himself. He couldn't help his reflexes sometimes, but this could work to his advantage at the moment. Sakura on the other hand, was trying to relieve herself from the shock of the sudden move.

"Sasuke…," said Sakura as she looked up at his face. Her hands were thoroughly useless under his much stronger arms keeping her down. He used his body to completely stop her movements by using his weight against hers. "Are you o..?" she asked before she was cut off.

Sasuke dove right in for the kill as his lips came crashing down on hers in a mind blowing kiss. Sakura could do nothing more than embrace the impact and kiss right back. If they didn't realize it before, they knew it now.

They wanted each other…badly.

Sasuke's hand found its way into her hair and tilted her head to the side, instantly sending his tongue on the journey into her mouth. Sakura moaned into his mouth as she allowed him to explore her. Her hands gripped the back of his shirt, which only made it sort of slide off due to the fact that it was unbuttoned from the front.

The other hand embedded itself into his hair, fisting itself into his midnight locks as a reflex from the burning sensation of his mouth on hers.

Sasuke lifted her up against his chest with her legs wrapped around his waist. The couch was now officially not enough space for them. Sakura didn't even notice when he hoisted her up and began the strong yet slightly clumsy walk away from the couch and to the other side of the suite…where the unused bedroom was waiting.

Sasuke was still attached to her mouth, working ever angle he could making sure there was no space left without his traces. Sakura's hands were getting lost in his hair as they entwined themselves desperately within his silky raven locks.

"Sasuke…," she moaned as his hands supporting her thighs gave a light squeeze. Sasuke continued his assault on her lips as he drove them into the wall of the hallway. Sakura gasped in surprise as her back made contact with the wall, and gasped again when Sasuke quickly left her mouth and began attacking her jaw line and neck.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sakura was still conscientious of the fact that there were two sleeping children in the bedroom across the suite, and tried to hold in her moan. Sasuke on the other hand, was unaware of anyone else but her as he continued his assault on her neck.

"Sasuke," moaned Sakura as he sucked on the junction of her head and neck. His rock hard abs pressing against her was enough to cloud her mind even more. She released more breathy moans as her neck fell prey to his continued advances. Sasuke was getting highly annoyed at her damn full sleeved shirt blocking most of her neck from his hungry lips.

She held onto him tighter as the shirt on his back began to gradually slide off. Sasuke pushed off the wall and kept moving towards the room. He kicked the door open and quickly maneuvered to the bed, where he unceremoniously dropped her on top of it.

Sakura's head hit the pillows as she watched him stand near the foot of the bed, looking over her with lust that came out of nowhere. As me moved towards her, his shirt slide off completely and landed on the floor before he climbed on top of her and claimed her lips once again.

Sakura's hands went on auto pilot as the traveled up and down his front, memorizing every muscular detail they could. He was one fine piece of anatomy if she did say so herself. As a physician, she could fully appreciate that.

Sasuke grunted as her warm hands explored his front. She had no idea how that gesture was driving him over the edge. Sakura _loved_ the feel of his godlike abdomen against her fingers. How did such a busy man find time to work out?

"Sakura…," groaned Sasuke as her delicate fingers went up and down his torso. Her hands slid back up, over his pecks, along his neck and to the sides of his descending face, just before it meshed with hers all over again.

Sasuke's body was barely suspended above hers as he ravaged her mouth. Her hands traveled from his head, down his strong sturdy back, but she dared not go lower than that. Sasuke must have wanted her too, for he pressed his body against hers, pinning her in place, leaving his hands to roam free.

"Sasuke," said Sakura breathlessly as his hands went up and down her sides, rolling up her shirt as he did so. His mouth never left her body as it went down her neck and across her right collar bone, where his teeth began to graze the area.

He moved down and left a trail of kisses along her chest. He pushed himself against her, and her eyes snap open when she_ felt_ just how aroused he was becoming. The motion seemed to trigger Sakura's resistive reflexes. She seemed to almost snap out of her lust ridden stupor.

He sensed her about to push him off, but he wasn't having any of that. He was so close now. His hands slid up her frame, quickly and completely rolling her shirt up and off her, leaving her in only a bra and pants. She didn't even have time to be surprised as his arms slid up her own, where he intertwined his fingers with hers and held them down at her sides, trapping her.

Sakura couldn't concentrate, yet subconsciously she realized they were getting too carried away. As much as she thought she wanted this, now was not the time and certainly not the place. But how do you calm the beast when you've fallen prey to his lust?

"…Sas…mmm," she couldn't stop as he kissed her deeply to silence her. She was becoming less resistive, and even more responsive. Sasuke released her arms, letting his own run up and down her bare sides as their tongues once again battled for dominance. The feeling of him was too much. She wanted to feel all of him. Her arms betrayed her as they ground against his back all the way up to his scalp where she angled his head and deepened their kiss.

Sasuke's hands made their way up her sides, relishing the feel of her silky skin, where he briefly traced the outline of her bra before moving to unclasp it…and Sakura wasn't going to resist him.

* * *

**Sora and Suki's POV: **

Suki slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times. She brought one hand up to her face to rub the eye boogers out of it, and yawned. She kept rubbing her eyes as they adjusted to the soft light that was coming from the balcony's glass doors.

"mmmm Daddy…?" said Suki wearily as she kept rubbing her eyes. She slowly got up and looked around the room. "Aunty Sakura?" said Suki. Her eyes landed on Sora, who was still sleeping lopsidedly with his mouth open.

"Aunty Sakura?" said Suki as she continued to look around the large room. She remembered that Sakura said she would stay here with them, but she wasn't here. Where was she? She decided to wake up Sora.

"Oniichan," said Suki as she crawled over to him. "Wake up," she said. Sora only mumbled and rolled the other way. Suki pouted a bit and began to shake his shoulder. "Oniichan, where's Aunty Sakura?" she asked impatiently.

Sora only mumbled a bit and he readjusted himself comfortably in the blankets. Suki, who was now fed up him, hopped of the bed and began to scurry out of the room trying to find somebody.

"Daddy! Aunty Sakura!" she yelled.

* * *

**Normal POV:**

Sakura gasped and suddenly found to strength to pull away from Sasuke. She broke the kiss as Sasuke regretfully removed his hand from underneath her bra hooks. Both were panting heavily. Sakura tried not to look at him as she quickly slid away from his grasp and shuffled to find a robe and throw it on herself. She ran out of the room towards the little voice, not even giving Sasuke a second glance in fear of what she would see. She heard Sasuke's grunt of severe frustration, but placed it in the back of her mind as she entered the hall, and saw a frantic Suki running in her direction.

"Aunty Sakura," said an almost teary eyed Suki rushing towards her. Sakura met up with her half way and knelt down as Suki ran right into her arms. Sakura wrapped her arms around the small girl and held her.

"What's wrong Suki?" she asked as she pulled away to look at her face. Suki looked up at her and pouted.

"I woke up and you weren't there," said Suki. Sakura gave Suki a kiss on her forehead and hugged her again.

"Aw I'm sorry sweetie. We're you scared?" she asked. Suki nodded and held on to Sakura tightly.

Sasuke had walked back into the hall, still somewhat turned on and heavily pissed off at the interruption. His shirt was thrown back on, but not button up. His hair was in disarray and his breathing was rash and unsteady…until he saw what was before him.

"I'm right here," said Sakura as Suki clung to her. "I'm not going anywhere," she said as she patted Suki's back and kissed her forehead. Sakura rested her chin on top of Suki's head and caught Sasuke's eye.

Part of her was afraid that he would be upset with her and she couldn't blame him for that. But the other part couldn't believe how sexy he looked, standing there with his barely there shirt on and his pectoral muscles in all their glory visible for her to feast on. She almost wished they weren't interrupted...almost.

Sasuke leaned back and took in the sight. Regardless of the unwanted interruption, there were too many things perfect with what was before him. Sakura's soft smiling face as her arms held his delicate daughter, and Suki's face changing from scared to comforted, made his day. And Sakura's gaze upon his daughter was what really set it in. She looked at Suki as if she was her own child. That's all that mattered to him.

"Daddy's here for you too," said Sakura as she stood with Suki in her arms. Suki looked in her father's direction. Sasuke came over and ran his hand over the side of Suki's face and kissed her cheek.

"She knows that," said Sasuke as he brushed his thumb across her cheek. Sakura smiled and held Suki close. It was just now that Sasuke could truly appreciate Suki's resemblance to Sakura. It wasn't just the eyes anymore. It was the entire face and personality. Sasuke always thought that Suki took after him, but you'd never think that when compared with Sakura.

"Suki is Sora still asleep?" asked Sakura. Suki pouted and nodded.

"Yeah," said Suki. "He didn't wake up when I told him too," she said with a semi-pout. Sakura chuckled.

"Well he can sleep a bit more," said Sakura. "It's still early and he's probably still tired from last night," she said as Suki gave off another yawn. "And you're still tired too. Why don't you go back to bed sweetie?"

"mmm mmm" mumbled Suki as she shook her head and sleepily rubbed her eyes. Now that she wasn't so worried about Sakura's whereabouts, sleep began to kick in again in her little body.

"I promise we won't leave you," said Sakura as Suki looked at her with sleepy eyes. Sasuke, who had been standing by long enough, took Suki from Sakura's arms and walked back to the room to put her to bed again. Sakura decided to take this time alone to bolt into the main bathroom and get her shower in. She made sure to lock the door before turning around and leaning against it.

She closed her eyes and sighed. Sasuke was becoming more aggressive than she had expected. She opened her eyes and gasped.

"What the hell?" she said as she stood hastily and examined her neck in the mirror. Her neck was covered with something that she hadn't been wearing in years: hickies!

"Two, three, four…five! Five friggin hickies!" she said as she examined the red blotches spread throughout her neck. "_Good thing its winter and I brought turtle neck shirts," _she thought as she ran her fingers over the affected areas.

She began to wonder whether Sasuke was really attracted to her, or if he was just insatiable. They were really pushing their limits with each other. If it wasn't for Suki, Sakura was pretty sure that she'd still be in that bedroom, too emotionally drunk to push Sasuke off her.

What really scared her was her willingness. She wanted it just as much as he did, and she was afraid of losing her own resolve. It had been three years since the last time she was intimate, and to suddenly jump right in again was something she didn't expect.

Just the thought of him over her, touching her, kissing her…

Sakura shook her head and placed her hands over her flushed cheeks. She really needed that shower…and a cold one at that. All these thoughts about Sasuke were making her body react; the heat in the center of her core was proof of that.

She turned the shower head on and let the water run lukewarm. It was winter after all, and a cold was the last thing she needed. She stripped and stepped into the shower, letting the water run over her heated body. Too many thoughts were swimming in her mind, and she planned on washing them away for now.

But one thing was certain: If this happened again, she wasn't so sure that she would be able to stop it, let alone want to.

* * *

**Back in the living room:**

Sasuke had tucked Suki back into bed and stayed with her until she was asleep. Then he got up and walked back into the hall, across the foyer and towards the other room again. He heard the shower run in the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom.

Sasuke leaned against the door to the bathroom briefly before stepping away from it and walking back into the living room. There were too many things to think about, and when Sakura was around him, he found it harder and harder to think about anything else but her. He tried not to think about the fact that she was still resisting him at times.

He walked over towards the balcony and leaned against the glass doors as he watched the snow fall outside.

"…_there's no way they could be related," _thought Sasuke. He was thinking about the news report from last night. Several missing persons were reported over the past year. Strictly missing, as in no bodies have been found. It may have been a long shot, but when you're Sasuke, there's no such thing as impossible.

There were two other alternatives about what could have happened to the kids. One, they wandered off on their own, however that wouldn't explain the broken glass. Two, someone took them by force and tried to leave with them. As much as that thought angered him, it was the most probable cause.

The question now was, "_What could anyone gain by taking Sora and Suki?" _he thought as he sighed into the glass door.

Sasuke was a powerful man indeed. He had a respectable and high social status among the upper class, not only in Tokyo, but within Japan itself. The Uchiha family history dated back to the feudal era as a powerful military based clan. But even so, to have those types of enemies would be impossible in this day and age.

Last night gave him plenty of time to think about the situation with the kids.

The sound of small footsteps coming down the hall caught his attention. Sasuke turned around, expecting to see Suki again, but instead he saw Sora emerge from the hall, rubbing his eye and oblivious to Sasuke's presence.

"Mommy?" said Sora sleepily. He stopped rubbing his eye when he was half way across the foyer. That's when he spotted Sasuke standing by the glass doors to the balcony. In his mind, Sasuke looked really cool standing there with is messed up hair, leaning against the door. Sora was actually a bit intimidated and didn't know if he should approach him.

"She's taking a shower," said Sasuke. Sora looked in the bathrooms direction. At the turn of his head, Sasuke was able to glance at the cut that was on his forehead. Seeing that cut angered him. Not only did something bizarre happen to them, but Sora was actually injured.

"Oh…ok," said Sora. He gave an almost pout and looked down at the floor.

"…What's wrong?" asked Sasuke monotonously as Sora continued to pout.

"Mommy didn't wake me up," he said. Sasuke raised his eyebrows and nodded his head in his direction, telling Sora to come over. "She always wakes me up," said Sora as he made his way over and stood next to Sasuke while looking up at him.

"And why does she have to do that?" asked Sasuke as he glanced down at Sora.

"Because if she doesn't then I'll be late for school," said Sora. "And I like to get ready really fast," he said. Sasuke smirked.

"You don't have school today," said Sasuke. Sora looked at him blankly before looking sheepishly away and scratching the back of his head.

"Oh yeah," said Sora as he chuckled. "I forgot," Sasuke smirked at looked out at the horizon.

"How's your cut?" asked Sasuke. Sora shrugged and traced the cut with his hand.

"It's okay now," said Sora. "Grandma fixed it and Mommy kissed it. Mommy say's that kisses make it all better," he said matter-of-factly. Sora looked up at Sasuke and grinned. Sasuke knelt down and looked and inspected the cut.

He thought back to Sora's condition when they were found. Maybe, just maybe he might remember something.

"Sora," said Sasuke. "What happened yesterday? Why did you and Suki leave the party?" he asked. Sora looked down at his feet with a frown on his face.

"…I don't know," said Sora. "I don't remember,"

"Are you sure?" pressed Sasuke. "Did anybody take you or tell you to follow them?" he asked. Sora shook his head.

"I don't know," he said. "I think I fell asleep and then when I woke up, my head hurt,"

"You fell asleep?" asked Sasuke. Sora nodded.

"Yeah," said Sora. "And I had a dream of a ninja guy with white hair," he said. That caught Sasuke's interest.

"Like your Grandfather?" asked Sasuke. Sora shook his head.

"No," said Sora. "He had white hair like my Grandpa, but it looked like Aunt Shizune's hair and then he was running really fast and …"

Sasuke listened as Sora went on about his "dream". He was pretty animated about it, and what Sasuke noticed was that this kid had a knack for detail.

"And he had a funny mark on his arm that looked like a 'd'" Sora continued. Sasuke nodded at Sora's explanation, although it still puzzled him. He patted Sora's head and ruffled his hair a bit.

"You have good memory power," said Sasuke "Most people tend to forget their dreams when they wake up. It's a good strength to have. Never lose that," he said. Sora beamed at the compliment.

"Mommy says that too," said Sora.

"What do I say?" came Sakura's voice from the hallway. Sasuke and Sora snapped their heads in her direction and saw her standing there in black pants and a light pink long sleeved knitted top. Her hair was slightly damp from her shower and the ends were curling a bit.

"Mommy!" said Sora as he ran to her. "Sasuke says I have good memory," he said as stood before her. Sakura chuckled and glanced at Sasuke.

"Well he's right," said Sakura. "You have such a great memory," said Sakura as she bent down and hugged him. "You have an artist's eye, and you never leave out any details. Just like…," she paused and ran her fingers through his hair and let her palm rest at his cheek.

"Just like Daddy?" Sora asked hopefully. What Sora mostly knew about his father was that he was a great artist, and that's exactly what Sora wanted to be. Sakura lightly traced the cut on his head affectionately.

"Yeah," said Sakura as she smiled at him. "Just like daddy," From the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke rise and stay in his place. She kept her gaze on Sora and placed both her hands on the side of his head.

"Well we have to get ready to go home soon. You go brush your teeth and wash your face so we won't be late, okay?" said Sakura before whispering "Since we're here, we'll go and pay our respects, okay?" Sora nodded in understanding and scurried of to the bathroom. "Don't rush sweetie, we have some time!" she yelled as Sora disappeared into the hall.

As soon as Sora left, Sasuke was right behind her in a second. Sakura stilled, but dared not to turn around; not after the way she left him hanging before. She couldn't feel his breath on her neck, as it was covered with her turtle neck knit top, but she knew he was close enough to have felt it.

"…I have to tell you something," said Sakura with her back still to him. Sasuke paused, waiting and anticipating a comment or complaint about their earlier behavior. Whatever she had to say to him, he had a defense ready.

"Hn," said Sasuke. Sakura wrapped her arms around herself and looked down at the ground.

"Sora and I are going to the Kyoto Memorial Park after breakfast," she said. Sasuke took a moment to debate whether he should relax, or continue to brace himself. "Even though it's not that time of the year yet, I want to visit my mother…and take Sora to visit his father,"

Sasuke stood behind her, watching her back as it remained somewhat tense. He had nothing against her going to the memorial sight, but he couldn't help feel that this was another chance for her to turn away from him again. Even though she proclaimed her desire to move forward with him, he still had his insecurities about her; not that he would ever let her know.

"…It's snowing," said Sasuke. "Wear a thick coat," he said before turning away from her and walking back into the kid's room briskly. Sakura didn't look back at him as he left her. She wouldn't let herself do so.

While she was showering, she decided that since they were in town, she and Sora should take the chance to visit Sai and her mother. By deciding that, she also felt obligated not to indulge in Sasuke for the time being.

She heard him coming back and turned to see him carrying a droopy eyed Suki with him. Sasuke went to the couch and picked up his coat and draped it over her. Sakura met them at the door and held it open for them.

"Be back by noon," said Sasuke. Sakura looked up at him and nodded. "We leave for the train station at exactly 12:00. Have everything you need ready by then," he said. Again, Sakura nodded.

"Don't you want to tell me not to talk to strangers?" she asked as she smoothed out Suki's hair. Suki smiled at her and looked back at her father. Sasuke would have kissed Sakura right there as a reply, had it not been for Suki and the fact that he'd been purposely holding back to keep his composure. Instead he leaned forward and smirked.

"…Don't talk to strangers…," he said before shifting Suki in his arms and walking towards the door. Sakura watched them leave with a smile. Regardless of her insecurities about her relationship, she really couldn't see Sasuke and Suki as anything less than family. She closed the door as they left.

"I'm finished!" said Sora as he got out of the bathroom. Sakura turned and smiled at Sora and his new fresh face.

"That's great," said Sakura. "Now hurry and get dressed. You know where we're going today, right?" she asked. Sora nodded and smiled.

"We're going to see Daddy," said Sora. "I can't wait to give him my drawing," he said excitedly. Sakura couldn't help herself as she scooped him up and cuddled with him.

"Awww, I know you can't," said Sakura as she attacked his cheeks with kisses. Sora tried to resist, but giggled nonetheless.

"Mommy, no more kisses," he said. Sakura pretended to pout.

"What? I can't help it. Your cuteness was showing and I'm your Mommy, I have to kiss you!" she said as she planted more kisses on his cheek. She smothered him with motherly love all the way to his room, where she left him to get changed.

* * *

**Kyoto Memorial Park:**

Sakura thanked the cab driver as she and Sora stepped out. Sakura wore a long black winter coat over her outfit with velvet black gloves, while Sora was bundled up in a grey jacket, black snow cap and black mittens with a matching scarf. They walked in a slow pace into the memorial park. Sakura carried a bouquet of white lilies. According to her father, they were her mother's favorite flower, next to the cherry blossoms that weren't in season at the moment. The park was glistening white with fresh snow lying across the field. The pathways were barely visible, seeing as how people rarely visited this place when it snowed.

Sakura and Sora trudged through the snow, and made their way towards their site. After a good ten minutes of walking, they finally came to their destination.

**Rin Haruno Hatake**

**Beloved Wife, Mother and Friend**

"Hi Mom," said Sakura softly as she came and placed the flowers before the large memorial stone. Sakura's father had chosen an enclosed area of the park as her mother's resting place. A large cherry blossom tree that was without blossoms at the moment, stood next to it, casting its snow covers braches over the stone.

Sora came forward with his special drawing of an angel. Sakura had punched a hole in the paper and tied a string to it. She lifted Sora and allowed him to tie the drawing onto one of the tree branches so that it dangled elegantly over the grave.

"Let's say a prayer for Grandma," said Sakura as she put him down. They both held their hands together and said a silent prayer. Sakura's prayers to her mother were always special to her. It was the only way she could ever talk to her, and it was the only way she knew her mother could hear her. Sakura silently told her mother about Sora and their new lives in Tokyo. She also asked her mother for guidance.

"_Please watch over me mom," _she said in her mind. "_I've met someone…and he means more to me than I ever thought he could. Let me know that what I'm doing is right, for both me and Sora. And please continue to watch over Daddy. I still miss you Mom; Daddy does too. I only wish you were here to help me be the best mom I can be to Sora," _she thought. She ended her prayer and looked down at Sora. They bowed to the grave and left.

They continued to walk along the park, making the familiar turns to get to their next destination; the one that held more pain and memories than the first loved one. Sakura looked at Sora as they walked. Her baby was going through the same thing she had to go through; visiting a parent they would never know.

They turned the corner into another private area. This area was serene, just like the other one. Here, there were also cherry blossom trees covered with snow. Below it stood the beautifully engraved memorial stone of her husband.

**Sai Arisugaki**

**Dearly loved Husband and Father**

Emotions threatened to spill out of Sakura's body as she approached the snow covered monument. Here was what remained of her beloved. Her best friend and father of her child, reduced to a memorial stone. Sakura held Sora's hand as they approached it. She laid a single red rose before the grave. The brilliance of the red was able to shine against the white snow, highlighting its very essence. Sai would have appreciated it.

"Say hi to Daddy," said Sakura.

"Hi Daddy," said Sora. "I brought you a present," he said as he released Sakura's hand and carefully brought his drawing out of his jacket with a little difficulty due to his mittens. Sakura once again lifted him up to attach the drawing to the tree.

"It's me and Mommy and you," he said as he referred to the picture. Sakura saw that it was a caricature of the three of them together. Sora actually was pretty good about the detail in Sai's face. "I hope you like it Daddy," he said before Sakura put him down.

Sakura held back her tears as she knelt beside him. "He loves it," she said. "You know how I know? Because when you were really little, he said that he hoped for you to get his talent in art, and you did. You're just like your Daddy you know that?" she said as a couple of tears slide from her eye.

"Why are you crying Mommy?" asked Sora as he tried to wipe the tears away. Sakura shook her head and held him against her.

"I just miss him sweetie. I miss him a lot," she said as she kissed his forehead. Sakura held Sora and together, they both looked at the grave, with Sora's drawing displaying what they wished was still their family.

From a distance, a figure stopped in his tracks at the two people he saw at this grave. Kakashi had come earlier and had actually visited Obito's grave, then went to Rin's, where he saw Sora's drawing. He knew that Sakura was here, and he knew where to find her.

Kakashi watched as his only child continued to mourn the loss of her husband. He would forever regret all the trouble he gave them when they were dating. Hell, he only began to accept Sai when Sakura became pregnant with Sora. But what he learned was that Sai, an agent who was trained to lose his humanity in the most intense CIA training, managed to break free from that and find his humanity with Sakura. She saved him, and in turn, he protected her and loved her unconditionally.

Forgiveness was something Kakashi never asked for from Sai, yet he knew that Sai held no hostility towards him. Sai accepted him as part of Sakura's life. He only wished that he could have saved his son-in-law. He wished that maybe, he could have been more of a father to him as well.

But it was far too late for regrets. What's done is done, and there were still pieces of this broken family to put back together.

"Sakura…" whispered Kakashi. He began to walk towards them. Sakura turned her head at the sound of his footsteps. When she saw her father there, she stood up and immediately went to hug him. Kakashi held her tight. There was nothing more he could do for her. Nothing would make it better.

They pulled apart, and Kakashi took his moment to pay his respects to his son-in-law. He stepped forward and placed a special medal right next to Sora's drawing. The inscription on the medal was for excellence, which was exactly what Sai provided the agency for more than fifteen years before he died.

"We should get going," said Kakashi. "It's getting cold," he noted. When Sakura didn't respond, he calmly walked on a bit to give her some time. He stood and watched her.

Sakura looked onto the grave and whispered. "I'll always love you, Sai…" she said. She couldn't have possibly seen the spirit of her love come before her just then, but she felt his presence. Her father on the other hand, was able to see him fine.

Kakashi just stared as a faint outline of Sai came before Sakura and Sora. He watched as Sai placed his hand on Sora's head proudly. Then he saw Sai stand tall before Sakura as she whispered that she loved him.

Sakura closed her eyes as a gentle breeze came and engulfed her being, making her hair flutter out. This was Sai's presence, and she knew it. She could feel his lips on hers as he kissed her, and she relished in the sensation. As the wind settled, Sai gave his wife and his son one more look, before disappearing again. Another tear slid from Sakura's eye as she smiled up at the sky.

"Bye Daddy," said Sora as he too, looked up at the sky. Sakura quickly looked down at him in surprise. He felt him too. Her baby felt the presence of his father, and that brought so much happiness to Sakura. She knelt down and hugged him tight, letting the tears fall as she smiles up at the sky.

"Daddy loves you Sora," she said as she kissed his head. "He loves us both very much" she said. Sora hugged her back and looked at the drawing above the grave. He didn't like seeing his Mommy sad, but she was smiling.

"Don't cry Mommy," said Sora as he tried to wipe her tears away, but his mittens wouldn't permit him. Sakura chuckled and wiped her own tears away.

"I'm sorry baby," said Sakura. "Let's say goodbye to Daddy for now," she said as she stood up. They both bowed to the grave and whispered their farewells to Sai. Just then, a light snow fall came from the heavens. Sakura and Sora both looked up at the sky once more, enjoying winter's gift. Sora stared in wonder as the snowflakes coated his eyelashes. He blinked them away as he smiled.

"Let's go back now," said Sakura. "We'll visit Daddy again soon," she said. Sora nodded. They both looked at the memorial stone one more time, before turning and walking towards Kakashi, who was patiently waiting for them. Kakashi smiled at her reassuringly. It was a difficult thing to come here, because when it's time to leave, it felt like losing their loved ones all over again.

"I think some hot chocolate is in order here," said Kakashi in an attempt to cheer them up.

"Yeah!' said Sora as the three of them began the walk back to the park entrance. Sora had a bit of trouble trudging through the fresh snow, so Kakashi ended up carrying him. Sakura held onto her father's arm as they made their way to his car. It was time to get back to life...for all of them.

* * *

**Hotel Granvia Kyoto: **

"Shit," said Sasuke as he and the rest of the group and their luggage were on the main floor of the hotel. He was just informed that their train was going to be delayed for another day due to mechanical damage. They would have to stay here for the night again. His parents however, were going back via private plane, which had limited seating, so the rest of them were stuck here.

"That means another day without ramen!" Naruto shouted as he put his hands behind his head. "Isn't there one ramen stand in this whole city?" he asked. Hinata just smiled at him sympathetically.

"We can always stay here another day," said Neji. "There's no point in rushing back. We can all push our patients to other doctors for one day," he said as he glanced at Tenten. She was sitting on one of the big fluffy arm chairs with her feet propped up and enjoying a muffin. He didn't want to rush anything in her condition. She looked like she was full term into her pregnancy.

"I'm not complaining," said Shikamaru as he leaned against the counter. "I'm in no hurry to get back to work,"

"Not all of us are as care free as you are," said Sasuke. From the corner of his eye, he saw Gaara and his group coming in their direction. Gaara came and stood before Sasuke and his group.

"Hey Gaara," said Naruto. "You guys heading out already?" he said. Gaara briefly nodded while keeping his stare on the Uchiha.

"Where is Sakura?" he asked, though it sounded more like a demand. Sasuke glared at the red headed man and chose not to respond.

"Where _is _Sakura?" Naruto asked, looking around. "And Sora," he added.

"Out," said Sasuke. "What's it to you?" he asked directing the question to Gaara. Gaara's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He remained standing where he was, letting the tension grow around them. Temari and Kankuro gave each other looks, worried about Gaara's reaction. He had a very protective demeanor when it came to Sakura, which they knew first hand. Not very many people were brave enough to challenge him, yet Sasuke Uchiha was another corporate super power. Competition was a given.

"Hey, let's not be so hostile in the morning. Won't do anyone any good," said Temari.

"Ramen would make things better," Naruto mumbled. "You think a hotel that has everything would have a ramen stand,"

"Shut up Dobe," said Sasuke as he pinched his sinuses. He could only take so much at one time.

"Jeez," said Naruto. "What's got you so uptight? I thought Teme mode was turned off for the time being," he said before he grinned. "Sakura being gone getting to you?" he asked, getting a lot of head turns at his comment. Ino and Tenten looked over from their places on the cushy chairs to tune into the conversation. Sasuke was giving Naruto a death glare. This was why the Dobe couldn't' be trusted to keep his mouth shut.

"Sakura...," Gaara said, drawing everyone's attention. "Was one of the best doctors in my facility," he said menacingly. "Her well-being is of my concern. Don't be surprised if I try to bring her back Uchiha," he threatened. "She _was_ my employee,"

"And now she's _mine_," said Sasuke sternly as he took a step forward. That got a reaction from everyone. Shikamaru shifted, Neji raised an eyebrow, Naruto and Kankuro snickered, and Temari gave a small cough. Ino and Tenten stared wide eyed as the kids just sat around them. The personnel behind the reception desk stood in awkwardness as their guests increased the tension.

"Wow," whispered Tenten to Ino from the place in on the chairs. "Smell that tension," she said as she took bite from her third muffin of the morning.

"Seriously," said Ino. "Forehead girl's got it good if she's got two hot guys fighting over her," she said. "She gets all the luck," she said with a sigh. They continued to watch Sasuke and Gaara stare each other down.

"Possessive bastard aren't we?" said Naruto as he nudged Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke spared him a glare that told him to shut up before he gets hurt.

"Troublesome," said Shikamaru. "If anyone needs me, I'll be outside," he said as he walked towards the entrance. As he walked, he could see Sakura carrying a box full of some drinks, and Commander Hatake step out of his car with Sora. Shikamaru praised his good timing. He didn't want to be in there when Sakura arrived. It was already awkward enough for him. He pushed the glass doors open and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. He light up and watched as the three of them made their way towards him.

"Shikamaru," said Kakashi nodding his head in greeting.

"Commander," said Shikamaru. Sakura looked at him disapprovingly. Before she could speak, he interrupted her.

"Save the speech," said Shikamaru. "I get it enough from my troublesome wife," he said as he blew some smoke into the air. Sakura sighed. "By the way, you might want to get in there. You're the object of attention, and you might be able to cut the troublesome tension," he added. Sakura gave him a curious look before walking past him with Sora.

The doors were opened for them by the bell boy, and once Sakura saw Gaara and Sasuke giving each other death glares, she knew she was in for it. She walked up to the group, who had yet to notice her until Suki shouted her name.

"Aunty Sakura, Sora," said Suki. Everyone turned their heads in her direction. Suddenly, she got somewhat uncomfortable with everyone's curious glances.

"Uhhh, hi everyone," she said as she made her way to the chairs where Ino and Tenten were sitting. "I brought coco," she said cheerily as she places the tray in the center.

"Score!" said Tenten as Sakura handed her a cup. She gave one to Akio, Akira and Suki. Sora came by with his cup and took a seat with the other kids. Kakashi waltzed in behind them and glanced at the group.

"Did we miss something?" he asked while looking at the glaring duo, both of whom we're still locked in a no blinking battle.

"What's going on?" said Sakura.

"Apparently we're going to be staying her for one more day," said Ino. "Some kind of problem with our ride back," she said. Kakashi's ears perked up at that bit of info.

"Oh," said Sakura. "Another night in here?" she said as she looked over at the guys. "What about our patients? What if I get paged?"

"That's just going to have to wait," said Sasuke, who finally broke the glaring contest. "All your patients will go to the emergency on-call doctors," he said. "There's nothing more we can do,"

"Well I have an idea," said Kakashi, who had a somewhat happy face. "You can all stay at my place," he offered. Sora ran up to him with an excited face.

"Really Grandpa?" he shouted. Kakashi chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"Of course, it's been a while since you came to visit," said Kakashi.

"Yeah!" said Sora.

"We wouldn't want to intrude," said Neji. "I'm sure it would be a hassle for you to take care of everyone here. We can just stay here for another night," he said.

"You would think I live in a box," said Kakashi. "I insist. There are enough rooms in the house for all of you,"

"It's true," said Sakura. "It would be really nice you guys. It's not far from here. It's actually closer to the Metro that the hotel," she said while standing. "Besides...none of you can resist my super-secret cookies once you've tried them," she said with a confident stride. Both Suki and Tenten's ears perked up at that notice.

"I'm in!" said Tenten as she raised her hand. Ino sweat dropped; Tenten still had a muffin and a cup of coco in her hands.

"Me too, me too, me too!" said Suki as she also raised her hand and moved to sit next to Sakura.

"Cookies aren't ramen," said Naruto in a thinking pose. "But they're just as good. Count me in," he said while giving the thumbs up. Kakashi glanced over at Sasuke, who was looking at Suki.

"Well?" said Kakashi. "Is it a plan?" he asked directing the question to Sasuke. He knew that ultimately the decision would be his. Sasuke gave everyone a quick look before looking at Kakashi.

"Hn," Sasuke while looking away.

"That means yes in his language," said Naruto. "Alright, we're going to Sakura's house!" he said just as Shikamaru made his way back into the lobby from his smoking break.

"...troublesome," he muttered.

* * *

**Kakashi's House coughMANSIONcough:**

Kakashi was driving back to his house with Sakura and Sora. The rest of the group was behind them in the hotel van that Sasuke rented for the day. The two cars drove through the beautiful snow covered Kyoto landscape and into the private residential area. They reached a huge house that was surrounded by an iron black gate.

"Home sweet home," said Kakashi as they stepped out of the car. Sakura looked up at her old house. Memories came flooding back to her of all the wonderful years she spent here. It was a large two story house/mansion with snow covered trees surrounding it. In the back, there was a large back yard and a swimming pool which must have been iced over by now. Her father had also built her a fort in one of the trees in the back yard, which now belonged to Sora.

"Wow," said Naruto as he stepped out of the car. "So this is where you live," he said as he and the rest of the group got out and admired the house. Ino stepped out and smiled at the house. She used to come over here a lot when she and Sakura were younger. Everyone else got out of the car and carefully made their way through the falling snow and into the warm house.

"Brace yourselves," Kakashi warned as he opened the doors. The group all entered the large foyer, and heard a sound that was quickly coming towards them. That's when they saw an unexpected fleet of dogs in all sizes and breeds come running through the hall. Kakashi stepped forward and all the dogs came to an immediate halt and lined up before them. Sasuke immediately picked up Suki to prevent her from getting squashed.

Sakura stepped before her father and bent down towards her pets. "Come here my darlings," she said as she clapped her hands. All ten canines broke the line and charged at their other beloved master.

"Oh!" said Sakura as she chuckled and squealed as the dogs tackled her to the floor in excitement. They were trained to protect her, but they also loved their master's daughter very much. They licked her face and wagged their tails as each dogs fought to get to her. They also swarmed around Sora, who was having a fit of giggles. One particular dog, that was smaller than the rest jumped into the young boys arms. He loved his Grandpas dogs.

"It's Pakkun!" said Sora as the dog licked his face.

"Got enough dogs?" Tenten chuckled as she and the rest watched the amusing scene before them.

"Look at all the doggies' Daddy," said Suki as she pointed to them. Kakashi smiled and decided that they had had enough fun for now. He stood up straight and said in a strong voice.

"Sit," he said. Immediately, the dogs, including Pakkun got off of Sakura and Sora and sat in a straight line. Suki, Akio and Akira starred in awe at the dogs, all the while thinking how cool Sora's grandfather was for having them all. "Well," said Kakashi. "Make yourselves at home. Sakura can show you to your rooms," he said as he took the dogs to the back. Sakura turned around and motioned for everyone to follow her.

Everyone gathered their bags and followed their pink haired friend into Kakashi's large and eclectic style home/mansion. There were tasteful pieces of art and beautiful furniture in the living room and hallways. What they couldn't see were all the hidden security sensors, mics and info screens hidden in select places throughout the house. But being mostly made up of CIA agents, they expected something of the sorts in Kakashi Hatake's household.

On a side note, they wondered how much privacy Sakura really had as a youngster.

They passed by a large den area and continued onto the hall. Sakura lead them all to the main hall where the stairs were located.

"Okay guys," she said as she turned to face them. "We have four guest bedrooms upstairs, and two down stairs. You guys can pick which ones you want. The kids can sleep downstairs. I think it'll be fun for them to be near the dogs," she said. "And Tennie, maybe you'd like one downstairs too,"

"You bet," said Tenten. "Those stairs are looking like Mt. Everest right now. I'm such an invalid!" she said as she made her way to the downstairs guest bedroom. Neji sighed and followed her while carrying their entire luggage, all the while secretly counting the days till the end of her pregnancy. Ino and Shikamaru went upstairs and Sora led the kids to the dogs so they can play for a bit. That's when Sakura realized that Sasuke was gone.

"Sasuke?" she said. She went back into the hallway trying to look for him. She passed by the den, and that's where she found him.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV:**

He was gazing at a large framed portrait of a young pretty woman with reddish brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She was standing by a fully bloomed cherry blossom tree in a white dress, and holding onto her very pregnant belly.

"That's my mother," Sakura said from behind him. Sasuke glanced back at her as she walked up to him. She looked up at the picture and gave a soft smile. "That's the only picture I have with my mom and me together. It's one of my dad's favorites," she said while smiling. Sasuke looked down at her and studied her face.

"What?" she asked. Sasuke leaned in slowly. Sakura tilted her head back questioningly, until he pulled back. Was he going to kiss her?

"...You look like her," he said as he looked back at the picture. "The hair makes sense now," he said with a smirk. Sakura tried to playfully punch him in the shoulder, before he caught her wrist in his larger palm. He held onto her hand gently as he guided her closer to him. "You we're crying," he said. Sakura looked up at him questioningly.

"You were crying when you went to the cemetery. You're eyes gave it away," he said as he released her hand. Sakura took in a deep breath and released it.

"Well," she said. "Visiting the dearly departed tends to be an emotional event. It's not like you don't shed a silent tear or two when you visit your late wife, right?" Sasuke didn't know how to respond to that. When in doubt...

"Hn," he said before looking back up at the picture.

"I saw my husband _and_ my mother. Extra tears are in order there," she said jokingly. She was taken by surprise when he suddenly pulled her into his arms so that they were face to face, and dangerously close in the lip wise. Sakura's hands were on his chest and he pushed their foreheads together.

"You need fewer reasons to cry," he said. Sakura looked into his eyes and felt her heart do back flips as she gazed into his soul. Simply being in his embrace like this was enough to get her heart racing. The small blush on her face couldn't be suppressed as it coated her cheeks. With heavy eyelids, she whispered.

"...You know...we're still in my father's house..." she said. Sasuke smirked and slowly moved his hands sensually up and down her sides, foreheads still touching.

"And?" he said somewhat huskily as the noses now touched.

"...and," she couldn't find the words as he lips finally came in contact with hers. It was a sweet yet passionate kiss. She slowly wound her arms around his neck as he held her close. She tilted her head to the side as he invaded her mouth with his tongue. This morning's "events" came into her mind, and with it came a new sense of guilt. She completely left him hanging in the moment, and she hadn't seen him all day, let alone apologize for leading him on, then leaving him. Not that it was her fault but still.

She broke the kiss, but remained in his arms.

"Sasuke," she said. "About this morning, I'm sorry," she said as she increased her grip around his neck. Sasuke looked at her guilt ridden eyes. At last, she acknowledges this morning's interruption. Had he been feeling a bit more sinister, he would have ridden out her guilt and finished what they started this morning, but looking into her genuine eyes suppressed that side. All he wanted to do was embrace her now, and that's what he did.

"Sorry for what?" he asked before kissing her again. Sakura kissed back knowing that she was forgiven. That was Sasuke's language, which she was now knew like the back of her hand. She chuckled before he kissed her again and again. They continued to kiss until something painful implanted its way onto Sasuke's left leg. He broke away from Sakura with a grunt as the sudden barking of a dog came. Sakura saw Pakkun standing in the doorway growling and barking up a storm at Sasuke.

"Pakkun!" said Sakura with her hands on her hips. "Bad dog! Stop it! SIT!" she ordered, pointing her finger at the small dog. The dog stopped barking, but continued to growl at the Uchiha man that was "attacking" his master. That's what he was trained for right?

"Are you okay Sasuke?" she asked as she lead him to the couch.

"It's nothing," he said as he sat down. Sakura rolled up his pant leg and saw that Pakkun had left quite the mark on his ankle. Sakura gasped and turned back to the still growling dog.

"Bad dog Pakkun. You know better than to hurt guests. Bad doggie!" she said. Pakkun began to make whining noises as he placed his tail between his legs. "Too late now. Go sit in your corner and think about what you did, before I tell Daddy," she said as she turned to fret over Sasuke. Pakkun left the den and made his way down the hall while still making whining noises. As he got half way into the hall, he stopped whining and entered the basement door.

The small dog made its way into the basement, then entered a secret passage way that lead him into a high tech surveillance room, full of video monitors and outside security cameras. There was a large chair in front of the computers monitors, and Pakkun made his way over to the large chair. He jumped up and onto his master's lap. Kakashi was watching a large monitor that had the Den on display. He had hidden a camera below the portrait of his wife and had witnessed and heard the entire "scene" with his daughter and Sasuke.

"Good dog," said Kakashi as he stoked Pakkun's head and gave him a dog treat. Pakkun happily ate it as his mastered continued to stroke his head. Once a protective father, always a protective father.

"Dogs truly are man's best friend," he said to himself as he stared at the monitor of Sakura trying to patch up Sasuke's painful looking ankle. Pakkun always was his favorite.

* * *

**Authors Note: **

**REVIEW! **


	20. Watching

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 20: Watching**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Guest Room:**

"Does it hurt Daddy?" asked Suki as she stared at her fathers bandaged leg. They were both sitting on the bed inside one of the guest bedrooms. Even though it was a spare room, it was furnished nicely with pictures of Kakashi, Sakura and Sora. A queen sized bed and a dresser and nightstand lined the walls along with a large armchair, and Sasuke was now quarantined it in. The said man was ordered by his doctor/girlfriend to rest and allow his wound to close up on its own. That damn dog gave him quite a deep bite.

"No," Sasuke answered. Suki gave him a pout and began to poke at his leg, testing it for sore spots. She was all dressed up in her little doctors outfit with her hair pulled back in her little nurse's cap with the doctor's kit at her side and fully prepared to heal her father, but Aunty Sakura beat her to it.

"Are you _sure_ it doesn't hurt Daddy?" asked Suki as she continued to poke his leg. Sasuke sighed at her persistence.

"No Tenshi it doesn't. Sakura already fixed it," he said as he turned his head to the side. Suki gave him another pout before she asked him something that caught him off guard.

"Did Aunty Sakura kiss you?" she asked innocently. Sasuke snapped his head back so fast that he heard it crack. He brought his left hand to his neck and tried to ignore the throbbing sensation as he composed himself.

"What?" he asked quickly.

"Aunty Sakura said that kisses make it all better," said Suki as she sat closer to her father. "She always kisses my boo boo's, so if she made you all better, does that mean she kissed you Daddy?" asked Suki with a small giggle.

"Yeah Teme," came Naruto's voice as he entered though the doorway. "Did Sakura _kiss you_?" he asked smugly as he leaned against the doorway with his arms folded over his chest.

"Dobe," said Sasuke. Great, Naruto was the last person he needed to hear that. "What are you doing here?" he asked. Naruto snickered and looked over at Suki.

"Just wanted to check up on our little victim," said Naruto. "But don't avoid the question, did she kiss you?" asked Naruto while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"No," said Sasuke as he looked at Suki. "She didn't," he said. Suki smiled at her father and got up to give him a kiss on his cheek. She pulled back and gave her father one of her million dollar smiles.

"Now you're all better Daddy," she said happily. She got down off the bed and collected her things before walking out of the room and giving her uncle Naruto a smile as well. He ruffled her hair as she passed him and once his precious goddaughter was gone, Naruto turned back to his best friend to annoy the hell out of him.

"So Teme," said Naruto. "You got a thing for Sakura. Who knew?" he asked with that fox like grin of his. Sasuke was quickly getting annoyed with the world for producing the knuckle headed idiot.

"Shut it Dobe," said Sasuke.

"No can do," said Naruto. "If you're going to be dating Sakura, then it's my job to make sure you don't screw her over," said Naruto with a big brother tone to his voice.

Sasuke restrained the twitching sensation coming from his right eyebrow. Why was it that the male population around him suddenly decided that Sakura was off limits? He didn't really care though. He's an Uchiha and he'll be damned if someone stopped him from getting what he wanted.

"That's none of your business," said Sasuke as he got off the bed. His leg didn't hurt anymore and it was ridiculous to stay in bed all day, regardless of doctor's orders. Before he got out the door, Naruto blocked his escape with his arm. Sasuke glared at the idiot before noticing his unusually serious expression.

"It is my business Teme," said Naruto. "Sakura is like a sister to me. If you like her, that's great but…" he stopped for a minute before looking him in the eye. "…It's not really that believable," he said as he waited to get a reaction out of him. He noticed that Sasuke's eyes got just a bit narrower and Naruto knew that he had just pissed him off. But he didn't care. He really did see Sakura as sister and Kakashi will surely have his head if he didn't interrogate the man somewhat.

Sasuke shoved Naruto's arm out of the way and gave him a death glare. "I don't give a damn if it's believable," he said with a calm voice. "Doesn't make it any less real," he said before stepping into the hallway and walking towards the stairs. Naruto smiled at his best friends retreating back. He knew Sasuke better than anyone. He would treat her right, regardless of what anyone said.

"I wasn't expecting that answer," said Kakashi as he came out of his hiding place in the adjacent bedroom while reading one of his novels. Naruto grinned at his commander.

"That's Sasuke for ya," said Naruto while giving him the thumbs up. "Expect the unexpected from a grade A bastard," he said. Kakashi gave Naruto a look at his choice of words.

"And you think my daughter is okay in the hands of a "grade A bastard"? he asked as he kept his focus on his book. Naruto's grin was reduced to a dopey smile.

"She's better than okay," said Naruto. "You know Kakashi sensei, Sasuke isn't a bad guy. He isn't exactly the most fun to be with, but I've seen a big change in him ever since he met Sakura," he said while looking at his commander. Kakashi kept his gaze fixated on his novel, but Naruto know that he was listening. Naruto places both his arms behind his head and looked up at the roof.

"She brings out the best in him," said Naruto as he began to walk towards the stairs. "Believe it," he said quietly as he walked out of view. Kakashi finally looked up from his book at the space where Naruto once was. That knucklehead really did have a way with words. The familiar sounds of angelic giggling reached his ears. Kakashi walk into the bedroom and looked out the window into his backyard.

For years he would watch Sakura play outside from this window. Now what he saw was his grandson and the little Uchiha girl playing around in the snow. Sora was kicking and punching into the air, probably practicing his karate, while Suki was just happy making a snow castle.

His dogs were also getting a hoot out of playing with the kids. All ten of them were there and from what Kakashi saw, they were doing their job as security hounds well. When you look from a distance like he was, you could see that seven of the dogs formed a large circle around the kids for protection, while three of them were within the circle, to play with the kids. He really couldn't ask for better canines.

He saw Sasuke make his way outside and watched as he came up to Sora. His grandson suddenly got a determined look on his face before doing a series of martial arts moves. Kakashi was actually impressed at the display considering that Sora had only been in the program for a few months.

"So he's a mentor huh?" said Kakashi as he watched Sasuke guide Sora. He also saw how Naruto had come to Suki and made some snowballs for her to throw. Suki threw them at her father, effectively hitting him at his knees.

Kakashi went downstairs and out to the back porch. The snowball fight now turned into a martial arts lesson.

"Hiyah!" said Sora as he punched a snowball in the air. Sasuke was doing the same thing.

"More snowballs uncle Naruto!" screamed Suki as she continued to throw them at her father and Sora. Naruto was working at a fast pace making ten snowballs a minute and handing them to Suki.

"Hit them good Suki!" said Naruto. Suki was more than happy to throw them as hard as she could.

"Hiyah!" said Sora as he punched and kicked them all out of the way. Sasuke told him to think of it as practice, but it was fun too. He felt proud that he was hitting them all, until one of them was about to collide with his head.

Sasuke's arm came out of reflex and destroyed the snowball before it even touched his little head. He still had that wound on his forehead and he didn't need it reopened so he blocked it, much to Suki's dismay.

"Daddy you cheater! I almost got him!" said Suki as she pointed a finger at Sora, who gave her a smirk that would make even Sasuke proud.

"Nothing can hit me!" said Sora as he got into a defensive stance. Pakkun and the other dogs were happily catching snowballs in the air alongside him. Sora caught sight of Kakashi watching them and waved at him.

"Grandpa, watch me block the snowballs," he said. Kakashi waved, indicating that he heard. Naruto and Suki launched another round of snowballs and Kakashi watched as Sora blocked them. All in all, he was quite impressed at Sora's muscle movements. He was quite the clumsy kid, but he was showing excellent coordination.

"_As to be expected from Sai's son,"_ thought Kakashi. Sora did have some amazing genetics after all.

"What are they doing?" asked Sakura as she came out onto the porch and stood next to him. "Looks like war," she said as she handed her father a cup of what appeared to be hot cider. Kakashi took the cup in one hand and wrapped the other arm around his daughter.

"It's training," said Kakashi. "With a little bit of fun I suppose," he said as he took a sip of cider. "Good cider,"

"Hinata made it," said Sakura. "I hate to break up the fun, but dinners ready," she said. Kakashi smiled down at her. It's been a while since he sampled her cooking. Where she learned to cook, he'll never know. He whistled to get everyone's attention and motioned for everyone to come inside. Naruto's disgruntled voice could be heard and both looked up to see him waving his arms frantically about something.

Suki and Sora came running as they laughed about something.

"Uncle Naruto stepped in dog poo," said Suki as she giggled. Sakura laughed as she saw Naruto and Sasuke from a distance. Naruto seemed to be taking it out on Sasuke, who was walking away from him.

"It's time for dinner now. Both of you go wash up," said Sakura and she guided the kids inside. Sora and Suki nodded and followed her in, just as Sasuke came up to the deck.

"That was some interesting training," said Kakashi. "You coordinated all his muscle movements in his arms, which were free from the snows restrictions," he said as he took a sip of his cider.

"Hn," said Sasuke as he shoved his hands in his coat pockets. He refused to wear mittens; they were simply childish.

"You seem to be quite good at martial arts," said Kakashi. "Black belt I assume?" he asked. Sasuke nodded his head. Naruto came up while holding his infested shoe.

"Tai Kwon Do, boxing and even Kendo," said Naruto. "He's practically done it all at the expense of a social life," he said earning him a glare from Sasuke. Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Naruto ignored the glare and just went inside while leaving his poopie shoe outside.

"Impressive," said Kakashi. "Perhaps one day we might have the chance to spar," he said. "I have a few martial arts merits under my belt as well. That is, if you're up to it," he said in a challenging manner. It was Sasuke's turn to raise an eyebrow. He could tell just by looking at him that Kakashi was a physically fit man in his early forties'. Yet there was something about his lazy, yet sharp eyes that were emitting power. Perhaps it was the scar running down his left side, but Sasuke wasn't afraid to provoke him.

"Only if _you're_ up to it," said Sasuke. He knew he did it when Kakashi's lazy eye narrowed ever so slightly.

"I look forward to it," said Kakashi before Sora came running past Kakashi and up to Sasuke excitedly.

"Mommy made grilled tomatoes!" said Sora. "Come on," he said as he practically dragged Sasuke by his coat into the house. "You too Grandpa. Suki said she'll eat them all,"

"I'm coming," said Kakashi as he whistled for the dogs to come inside. They all came running and went inside before Kakashi entered and closed the door. Sasuke could wait; Sakura's cooking could not.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

After an incredible dinner that consisted of all of Kakashi's favorite foods, Sakura retreated to her room to unwind. She walked around her room slowly. She still couldn't believe that after all this time; her father had not moved a single thing from its place. All her old high school photos, awards, and knick knacks were still in her place, just as she had left them years ago.

She stopped near the window and sat along the windowsill. A very large tree that was now covered in snow stood right next to it. That tree held many fond memories for Sakura; all of which centered on Sai.

That was the tree that enabled them to have so many private moments together. It was a way for him to see her without her father's knowledge, although Sakura was always baffled as to how he got past the dogs. Sai would often come to her late at night from who knows where, just to say goodnight to her.

She found it incredible tacky, yet sweet. Sai's reasoning was that he wanted to practice how to be romantic, seeing as how he was never one for romance. He was always reading books on human emotions and behaviors. It was strange, but then again, so was he.

Sakura smiled as she leaned her head against the window and got lost in her memories. This room held so much of her past that she was secretly glad that her father hadn't touched a thing.

She was especially glad that he even kept her bed. That one held some memories that she wasn't comfortable with her father messing with. It was the bed she _almost _lost her virginity in.

"This room still looks the same," came Tenten's voice from the doorway. Sakura whipped her head in her direction and saw her incredibly pregnant friend waddle in along with Hinata. "Talk about not being able to let go," she said as she made it in.

"Hey guys. How'd you get up here Tennie?" asked Sakura as got up to help her sit on the bed.

"I'm pregnant, not disabled," Tenten retorted with a sigh as she sat on the bed and propped her feet up.

"Tenten and I were wondering where you were," Hinata said. "The boys are outside with the kids again. Well, all except for Neji niisan,"

"Neji's asleep and I didn't want to bother him," said Tenten. "He's been sleep deprived for a while and a figured he needed a break. The four of us kind of take a toll on him," she said as she placed her hands on her belly.

"I bet you do," said Sakura as she placed her own hand onto Tenten's belly. "Hello babies, I wuv you," she said in a baby voice. She got a series of kicks in response. Sakura giggled like a schoolgirl when she felt them. "Awww I can't wait for you to deliver. I miss having a baby around,"

"You work with babies every day," Tenten pointed out.

"Yeah, but they're all hanging by a thread in the NICU," Sakura replied. "I mean a healthy baby that I can play with. Sora grew up just like that, and I feel like I missed his baby years because I was doing my fellowship when he was born,"

"You're incredibly strong to have had a baby while in school," said Hinata. "I don't think I'd be able to handle that,"

"Trust me, it was no walk in the park," said Sakura. "I'm surprised I made it out alive and that Sora didn't come out with a gigantic brain from all the studying I did,"

"But you're lucky to have him. He's such a good boy," said Hinata. Sakura smiled.

"Thanks," she said, "But he's growing up so damn fast and I don't want him too!" she said with a pout. Tenten and Hinata laughed at her childishness.

"Well you can do one of two things," said Tenten as she made herself comfortable on the bed. "You can deprive him of his veggies and keep him short and skinny or, you can have another baby,"

Sakura playfully tossed a pillow in her direction, which Hinata suddenly karate chopped out of the way.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to compromise the condition of my nephews and niece Sakura," said Hinata in a mock serious voice. The three girls laughed.

"You've got pretty good reflexes Hinata," said Sakura to which Hinata smiled. "Well I won't starve my son but obviously, another baby is entirely out of the question as well,"

"How come?" asked Tenten. "You're young, what's the problem?"

"Uh, I don't know Tenten, how about the fact that it takes two to make a baby and I have no husband," Sakura replied. "Women can't impregnate themselves," she said sarcastically. Upon saying that, she noticed the looks that her two friends were giving each other, as if they caught her in some sort of act.

"Well," said Tenten with a hint of mischief in her eyes. "It seems to me like you and a certain man by the name of Uchiha are something of an item?" asked Tenten causing Sakura to look away with a blush.

"Why would you say that?" asked Sakura as she tried to suppress it.

"A ballroom full of people including your father witnessed your incredible kiss on the middle of the dance floor," Hinata pointed out "And it didn't look all that innocent if you ask me," she added. Sakura blushed as it just now occurred to her that she and Sasuke had some major PDA the other night.

"…" was her response as her cheeks took on more of a reddish tint.

"You're re-living it aren't you?" asked Tenten with a smirk on her face.

"I think it's sweet," said Hinata. "It's almost like its fate. You're a perfect match,"

"You're sounding more and more like Neji," said Tenten. "But I agree. You and Sasuke look pretty good together, considering we've never seen him with anyone…ever," she said. That sparked Sakura's interests.

"What do you mean you've never seen him with anyone?" she asked "What about his wife?" she asked as she sat up from her position on the bed. She saw Hinata and Tenten give each other looks, as if debating whether or not they should say something to her.

"What's going on you guys?" asked Sakura. Tenten still looked hesitant before she decided to speak.

"Well Sasuke and his wife weren't exactly that close," said Tenten. After seeing the confused look on Sakura's face, she continued. "It was an arranged marriage," she said. Sakura eyes widened just a bit at that statement. That was surprising to say the least.

"Oh," said Sakura. "I…I didn't know that. I never thought Sasuke was that type of guy," She was suddenly filled with a very awkward feeling.

"Well, Sasuke isn't exactly the social type as you know," said Hinata. "Naruto would often tell me that he was worried about Sasuke during our college years. He never went out and he was never seen with a girlfriend of any kind,"

"Hell, even Neji was more social than Sasuke was," said Tenten. "He was always so detached from our group. Whenever we'd go out, he would rarely join us, so it really came as a surprise when he got married so suddenly. But that marriage was short lived," she said sadly.

"Because of Suki," said Sakura.

"Exactly," said Tenten. "She almost immediately got pregnant with Suki and then died from complications. They weren't even married for a full year. It was so sad," said Tenten. "We hardly knew her,"

"And then Sasuke was left to raise a child on his own," said Hinata. "And ever since then, he's never been with another woman…until you came along that is," she said as she smiled. Sakura smiled a bit as well.

"Yeah Sakura," said Tenten. "Sasuke's been noticeably happier since you showed up, and judging from the display at the gala, I'd say he's hot for you," she said with a chuckle.

"Tennie!" said Sakura as she playfully smacked her feet.

"What?" asked Tenten. "He's hot, you're hot. You're both are just one big ball of flames," she said causing the women to chuckle. Then Tenten got a mischievous look on her face. "So…"

"…So what?" asked Sakura hesitantly.

"What goes on in that inferno?" she asked while wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Sakura almost passed out.

"Tenten," said Hinata with a huge blush on her face as well. "You're being too nosy,"

"Oh come on!" said Tenten. "I haven't gotten any in months because Neji treats me like I'm glass," she said, causing Hinata to blush to the point of unconsciousness. "I will live vicariously through you two," she said with a determined voice. "So spill!"

"Well…" said Sakura "I don't want to say" she couldn't even control the blush anymore. Sure, nothing has happened yet, but they've come oh so close.

"Don't tell me you two haven't done it yet?" asked Tenten with disbelief. "After seeing how possessive Sasuke is, I can't believe that he hasn't jumped you," Sakura just laughed at her bluntness.

"For crying out loud Tenten, I've only known the man for a few months," she said chuckling. "I couldn't possible go that far so soon. He's our boss!"

"But do you want too?" asked Hinata. "Because it seems like he does," she said mentally referring to the Gala display. That was one hot looking kiss after all.

"Well that makes him a man doesn't it?" said Sakura exasperatedly. She lay down on the bed across Hinata's legs. "It's too soon," she said as she closed her eyes.

"Says the woman who's been practicing celibacy for the past three years. You're my hero Sakura," said Tenten sarcastically. Sakura chuckled.

"Well it's not exactly like I can do whatever I want when I have a five-year-old son running around the place. And Sasuke has Suki so what are we going to do? Drop the kids off and fool around?" she asked sarcastically.

"I'll baby-sit," Tenten offered raising her hand. Sakura rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Thanks, but no thanks," said Sakura. She now had some thinking to do. She never once questioned what his relationship with his wife might have been like. But this was somewhat of an eye opener. She realized how little she really knew about Sasuke.

"But you know Sakura," said Hinata. "Sasuke never looked at his wife in the same way that he looks at you. You're special to him,"

"How does he look at me?" asked Sakura. She drew in a breath and held it there. She was curious to know just how obvious they had been when they were trying to keep it a secret.

"Like he wants to eat you" said Tenten as she placed her hand on her shoulder. "Sakura, you're one of the most intelligent people I know. But you're painfully oblivious when I comes to men and how they react around you,"

"I am not," said Sakura with a pout.

"Yes you are," said Tenten. "You were never able to tell when other guys were into you, and I think it's because of your lack of experience in dating. You've only been with Sai," she said. Sakura was quick to defend.

"Yes," said Sakura. "And I'm so happy that he was the only one I ever loved," she said. Tenten and Hinata knew by the tone in her voice that they had hit a nerve. "I don't care if I hadn't dated extensively before I married him. When you date a lot of people, you give them each a piece of your heart that you can never get back. And then when you finally meet him, that man you can't live without, all you can really give him is what's left," said Sakura. She brought her hand up and placed it over her chest.

"Now you guys tell me," said Sakura in a lower, calmer tone. "Wouldn't you want to give your whole heart to the man you love? Doesn't he deserve that much? Because Sai deserved it," she said. Tenten and Hinata looked at her with full understanding.

"We know he did," said Hinata. "He was lucky to have you," she said as she took Sakura's free hand "He was lucky to have _all_ of you," she said. Sakura smiled at them with glossy eyes.

"No," said Sakura. "_I _was lucky to have _him_. You know that feeling you have when you're with Neji?" she said while looking at Tenten. "And when you're with Naruto?" she said as she turned to Hinata "I had that with Sai," she said. The girls looked at her sympathetically. They couldn't imagine life without their husbands. Sakura looked down at Tenten's belly and placed her hand over it.

"That feeling grew ten-fold when we had our baby," she said with a smile. "It's the most defining moment in your life. When I held Sora for the time, I felt so complete, and my love for Sai intensified," she said.

"I know," said Tenten. "Believe me, I know," she said when she felt her babies kick. "But Sakura, just because you gave your whole heart to Sai, doesn't mean that you're incapable of loving again. Sai has your past, but you're future is still here,"

Sakura let the words sink in. She had no idea what the future held.

The girls decided not to talk about that topic any more. They didn't want to make Sakura think about anything upsetting. After chatting about life some more and discussing possible things for upcoming events in the following year, the girls bid her a good night. Once they left, Sakura changed into a gray t-shirt and black pajama bottoms, before climbing into bed.

She was about to turn the lights off, when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in," she said. The door opened, and her father stepped into the room.

"Just wanted to say goodnight," said Kakashi as he came and sat on the edge of her bed. He smiled and pulled out a worn out stuffed animal from behind him. "You're not too old for this now are you?" he asked as she showed it to her. Sakura instantly reached for it in awe.

"Awww you saved Katsuya?" she said as she held the white and blue stuffed slug in her arms. "Oh I thought I'd never see this again," she said. It was her favorite stuffed animal as a child that was given to her by none other than Tsunade when she was born.

"I'm glad you still like it," said Kakashi. Sakura hugged the stuffed animal to her chest and gave Kakashi a childish smile. He smiled back at her. She was only twenty-five, yet more accomplished with her life than most people in their forties. He was a proud father indeed.

"I'm glad you saved it," said Sakura. "I'm surprised that you kept my room intact, but I'm glad you did,"

"I wouldn't change this room for anything," he said. "It will always be here for you and Sora," Sakura smiled and hugged her slug closer. "Sakura, how are you doing back in Tokyo?"

"I'm doing fine," she said. "The hospital is pretty busy and my schedule is tight, especially with Tenten as my patient now, and Sora has karate after school with Ino's son. He's doing so well now that Sasuke's teaching him. He's so happy with our new life,"

"How often does Sasuke teach him?" asked Kakashi. That question was his indirect way of asking how often Sasuke sees her outside of work. Sakura didn't seem to get the underlying meaning though.

"He comes over every now and then and the two of them practice in the back yard. Sasuke brings over all his old equipment and sets up a mini dojo, it's so cute," she said while smiling fondly. "Sora's so motivated when Sasuke's around,"

"And what about his daughter?" he asked. "I assume she comes with him," Sakura nodded her head.

"Suki's is my little helper and such a sweetheart," she said. "She's always willing to help me make dinner or learn how to patch up Sora's boo boos, or practice her ballet. She does a lot of the things I used to do when I was her age," she said. Kakashi smiled.

"She really is so much like you," said Kakashi. "I couldn't help but think of you when I saw her. She even talks like you did at that age," he said to which Sakura chuckled.

"She and Sora really get along well. I'm glad that she's one of his friends," she said. "Well, more like siblings I guess. She calls Sora "onii chan" sometimes. It's so precious," she said. Kakashi smiled at that. Even though he had his feelings about her life, he promised that he wouldn't start any confrontations. The little time he had with her was precious and he didn't want to waste it.

"I see. Sora is a very protective boy. He's doing a good job of keeping you safe," said Kakashi causing both of them to laugh.

"Believe it or not, Sora didn't like Sasuke at first," she admitted.

"Really now?" said Kakashi. "You wouldn't think that judging by the way they are now. Any reason why he didn't like him?" he asked. Sakura just shrugged her shoulders. Her father would surely over analyze things if she told him the truth about Sora's confusion. It was best if he didn't know that part.

"Nothing in particular," said Sakura as she played with her slug. "It was more like he was territorial and sizing him up, just like you would," she said with a chuckle. "He was so protective he would have made you proud, but after spending some time with Sasuke, Sora grew to like him. He looks up to Sasuke, and I think it's great for him to have some male influence in his life. He's so determined to be as strong as he can be. My little hero," she said fondly.

"That's good to know," said Kakashi. "So long as you're happy and safe, I can rest easy," he said as he placed his hand on top of her head like a child. "You really did grow up way too fast," he said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I know that feeling," said Sakura. "Sora is doing just that. I feel like it was yesterday I was feeding him from his bottle, and now he's bigger and taking karate and making friends. I feel like I blinked and five years went by,"

"Try twenty-five," said Kakashi. "It doesn't get any easier the older they get," he said. He chuckled when she pouted.

"Sora at twenty-five?" said Sakura. "Oh no, I can already see the fan girls. He's already got some from Suki's ballet class,"

"He's got some of my genes you know," said Kakashi. "Naturally he'd be appealing to girls, even at five," he said. Sakura laughed.

"True," said Sakura. "But I don't know how I'll handle his teenage years. He's son of an artist. Who knows how moody he'll be," she said as she placed her chin on top of katsuya. A brief image of Sora becoming a punk rocker or goth popped into her mind, and it freaked her out.

"You'll handle him just fine," said Kakashi. "You're my daughter, and a very capable individual. I've seen you overcome a lot of things, and look where you are today. I'm very proud of you," he said as he touched the side of her face. Sakura smiled and leaned forward to hug him.

"Thanks Daddy," said Sakura as she hugged him tighter. Kakashi held her close and kissed her forehead. No matter how old she got, she was still his baby girl. He never wanted to lose her to anything, or to anyone, ever again.

"Well you should be getting to bed," said Kakashi as they pulled apart. Sakura nodded and got under her blankets, all the while hugging her little stuffed slug close to her chest. Kakashi smoothed out her hair and gave her one last kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight Sakura," he said.

"Night Daddy, I love you," said Sakura as she watched him walk towards the door.

"I love you too," said Kakashi as he flipped the switch causing the lights to turn off. Once he left the room, Sakura lay flat on her back and starred at the ceiling.

She had so much to think about. She was filled with memories of Sai just by lying here, and yet she was also thinking of her discoveries about Sasuke and his marriage. There was no way she would be able to sleep right away. She turned and looked at the time on her cell phone. It was 11:30 yet she was wide-awake. Sighing, she decided to wait another half hour or so before going downstairs and either raiding the fridge, or baking some more cookies.

"Cookies, definitely cookies," she said to herself. At around midnight, she got up out of bed and walked out of the room, all the while, unaware of the hidden camera in the hall recording her movements.

* * *

**Kitchen:**

Sasuke watched as she mixed the batter in her gray t-shirt and black pajama bottoms. He heard something going on in the kitchen and came to see what it was, only to find her there. Flour was smeared on various places on her body: her cheeks, hands, shirt and forehead. She was too preoccupied mixing the batter to notice him. There was soft music coming from a small CD player in the corner of the kitchen, and only half the ceiling lights were on, giving the kitchen a dim lighting.

Sakura let her mind wander to the one person she's been thinking about a lot: Sasuke. Tonight she learned a little something about him, and she wasn't really sure how she felt about it.

"_Arranged marriage huh?" _she thought. "_It doesn't make very much sense. But then again," _she thought as she poured all the ingredients into the bowl. "_With his supposed lack of personality, he just might go for that stuff,"_ she thought.

She knew very little about him, other than the fact that he was great father and sexy as hell. The small things like his limited vocabulary and strange love for tomatoes didn't count. Who is Sasuke? What was his past like? What are his interests? What are his hopes and dreams and ambitions? Basically, what makes him tick?

The fact that she didn't know any of these made Sakura feel kind of lousy.

_"Thanks a lot Tennie, now I want to know that fool,"_ she thought as she continued to mix the tough batter. "_He'_s_ so mysterious. What's he hiding from the world?" _

His arranged marriage was still weighing heavily in her mind. On the one hand, she was very much against arranged marriages and thought of people who participated in them as weak willed. Sasuke certainly wasn't weak willed, so there must have been more to it. Then at the same time, the selfish part of her mind felt happy at the thought that he supposedly never loved another woman, and she had no idea where the hell that thought came from.

Sakura stopped mixing and shook her head at her selfish thoughts. "_What kind of person am I? It's a tragedy that he didn't love Suki's mother…so why am I still happy about it?"_ she thought before she suddenly noticed a presence behind her.

"AH-!" a hand covered her mouth while the other hand caught the spoon that went flying out of her hand.

"Sakura" came Sasuke's hushed voice. He released his hand on her mouth. Sakura took in a few deep breaths to calm herself and placed her hand on her chest.

"You scared me," she said as she turned and shoved him on the shoulder. Her heart was beating so fast she swore she was going into tachycardia.

"Hn" said Sasuke. Sakura gave him a look, but said nothing. She was still trying to calm down. She went back to her cookie dough and began to place small handfuls of dough onto the baking sheet.

"What are you doing up?" she asked as she continued to break the dough. "You should be resting,"

"You're one to talk," said Sasuke. "Who bakes cookies at 1:00 in the morning?" he asked as he moved to stand next to her.

"Someone who cares enough to make sure her kids have some snacks on the long train ride home," she replied without meeting his eyes. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and gave her a half smirk. She didn't realize that she said _Kids_ rather than kid. The fact that she didn't realize it made her more endearing.

"Hn" said Sasuke. Sakura's shoulders dropped as she gave him a half smile. Her conversation with the girls came back to her and she suddenly got a bit nervous. Now that he was here, what should she do?

"_Keep him occupied that's what_!" said her inner voice.

"Are you hungry? I could reheat some left overs for you," she said. Sasuke shook his head.

"Uh…want to lick the bowl?" she asked as she took the two trays and placed them in the oven. Sasuke sort of looked at her funny before answering.

"I don't like sweet things," he said. Sakura closed the oven door and looked back at him.

"Oh," she said. "I didn't know that" she said as she went to the coffee maker. Perhaps now was her chance to get to know him a bit more. "So…what else don't you like?" she asked as she placed some coffee powder into the cup. She looked back at Sasuke, who was giving her that questioning look again.

"A lot of things," said Sasuke. "I dislike a lot of things and I like very few things," he said as he placed his elbows on the counter and rested his chin on his interlocked fingers. That threw Sakura off for a bit. That was pretty weird. What do you say to that?

"Well," she said. "What _do_ you like then?" she asked assuming that list was shorter and more helpful. "Details are encouraged here," she said. Sasuke smirked and briefly looked her up and down before meeting her at the eyes. Sakura caught onto the gesture and blushed, causing Sasuke's smirk to grow.

"Pervert," she said as she tried to cover her blush by looking down. "I mean what kind of food or music or movies are you into? Do you have any hobbies or special interests?" she asked.

"No" he answered monotonously. Sakura gave him an are-you-serious look before she heard the coffee pot ding. She shrugged to his response before grabbing two cups and filling them up. It was kind of depressing how he refused to open up, but she held her own. She would get something out of him sooner or later.

"Well anyway," said Sakura as she brought the two cups of coffee to the counter and sat next to him. "I find it hard to believe that you don't like sweets"

"And why would you say that?" he asked. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Because Suki is cute little bag of candy, and I know you love her more than anything else. So who's to say you don't like sweet things?"

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: **

Sasuke fought hard to control the sudden urge to kiss her. All he's been doing was losing control and kissing the woman before him. He couldn't understand why his body felt the need to ignore his brains command to keep in check. He'd never felt this loose before. No girl had ever caught his interest as much as she did. Confusion clouded his mind as he wondered just what it was about her that made him feel so unfocused.

Watching her in the arms of another man was what it took to make him realize that he didn't want Sakura around other men. Only _he_ would be able to touch her, hold her, kiss her, and ravage her as he pleased. He didn't care if he was possessive. Sakura had suddenly become something of a treasure; one that he would keep buried in his own arms. If his desire for her wasn't enough, then Suki's smile was enough for him to hold onto her.

The corners of his lips quirked up to form the tiniest of smiles.

"Hn," He said. Sakura just gave him a weak smile as she slouched on her stool. She could only put up with that one word for so long. She looked away from him and brought her coffee to her lips and took a long sip. Talking to him was like performing surgery; it would take precision and skill to get what she wanted.

Sasuke watched her from the corner of his eye. He could tell that she was frustrated with him by the way her jaw tightened and her lips puffed up. However, any serious reaction she had was discredited by the flour smeared on her cheeks and forehead.

Sasuke brought his hand up and brushed her cheek with his thumb. Sakura put her coffee down and looked at him. She saw the flour of his fingers as he pulled his hand back.

"Oh," said Sakura as she smiled sheepishly. "Thanks," she said as she carelessly ran her arm over her face. She brought her arms down and gave him a somewhat childish smile asking him if she was clean, when all she did was smear it even more. Sasuke gave off a slight hint of a chuckle before going in and using his thumb to smear of the smudge that was one the corner of her lips. He instantly regretted that when he brushed his thumb against her bottom lip. It was soft and warm to the touch from the coffee she drank.

His gaze stayed on her lips as he ran his thumb over them once more. Then he settled his whole hand on the side of her face and finally looked into her cloudy eyes. Her eyelids were half closed and her breathing quickened somewhat.

"I think you got it," she whispered before he lowered his head and caught her warm lips with his own. Sakura melted in her seat as the warmth of his kiss enveloped her.

Sasuke's thumb brushed against her cheek as her hand came up and covered his own before they parted. She smiled sweetly at him with a small blush.

"This is weird," said Sakura. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and she laughed. "I mean you and me being here is kind of strange. No matter how you look at it, we have a professional relationship. You're my boss, yet you're here with me in my childhood home,"

"And?" he asked in a dangerously low voice as he stood from his chair. Sakura got nervous, because she knew that he just might attack again. But as she looked at his face, she smiled.

"And you've got flour on your face now," she said as she stood up and used both her thumbs to wipe off the smears, however she soon found herself in another heated kiss as his arms pulled her to him.

"_Screw it,"_ she thought as she tightened her arms around his neck and kissed back with just as much ferocity. Their tongues clashed as Sakura's hands instinctively tangled themselves in his hair as he lifted her up onto the island counter top without breaking their kiss. Sasuke trailed kisses down the side of her neck and she angled her head to give him more access.

His lips on her neck sent shivers down her spine. He lightly bit the flesh that was covered her pulse before tracing his markings with his tongue. He kissed back up her throat, meeting her lips once more. His hands slide down her backside and rested at her hips before pulling her closer. She would have slid off the counter had he not been right in front of her. Her legs parted slightly and rested at his sides as he continued his assault.

"I enjoy tomatoes," he said as he kissed the other side of her neck. Sakura gave a soft chuckle as she kissed his cheek.

"I know," she said. His hands massaged her hips before sliding down the outside of her thighs.

"I hate sweets," he said as brought her left leg around his waist, teeth grazing her pulse. Sakura moaned.

"Blasphemy," she said in a whisper. He kissed her lips once more before kissing down to her collarbone and biting the sensitive skin, making her to gasp.

"I prefer the quiet," he said.

"A little too much," she said as she brought his head up and smashed her lips with his again. She still had the hickies from their last make out session and they needed time to heal.

"Loud people are annoying," he said as he bit and sucked on her bottom lip. He smirked when she pouted playfully, allowing him more access to her now plump lip.

"But you really can't get enough of us," she said as she tightened her arms around his neck.

"I prefer my privacy," he said as he pulled her flush against him and attacked her lips full force. The kitchen was getting warmer, and he was sure it wasn't because of the cookies. Sakura kissed back at first, but then gently pulled his face away from hers.

"But I'll find out who you are," she said as she held his face in her hands. They were barely a centimeter apart and breathing profusely. "I _want_ to know," she said as she looked at him with determined eyes. "_I have to know,"_ she thought.

Sasuke could see the challenge that flooded her eyes, and he was more than willing to accept. Other than the Dobe and Neji, people never tried to challenge Sasuke at anything in fear of what he might do to them. Women were annoyingly flattering and men were just envious of his physic and intellect. Yet this girl, this woman, was the only one who freely spoke to him as if she had known him for years. She didn't put him on a pedestal or treat him like a ruler. She treated him like a man, an opponent even.

It was sexy.

"Hn," said Sasuke before pushing his lips on hers once more. His hand went into her hair and tilted her head to the side as their tongues battled once again. Both Sakura's legs tightened their pull on Sasuke's waist. He smirked into their kiss and pulled her even closer so that there was no space left between them.

* * *

**Normal POV:**

Sakura moaned into his kiss. She loved the feeling of his muscular torso pressed against her chest and his calloused hands roaming around her backside. He made her feel like a woman again. His right hand traveled down from her hair to the hem of her shirt. He gently tugged on the material and allowed his hand to graze over the smooth skin of her back. Sakura broke the kiss and softly moaned at the skin on skin contact.

Sasuke let his hand caress the area of her lower back. A mental image of her in the backless dress at the gala entered his mind, and he was pleased to remember that her skin was just as soft as it looked. She was so delicate yet feisty.

He leaned his forehead against hers, allowing them time to catch their breath. Sakura brought her hand up to his face and smiled.

"I think you might be a romantic at heart," she said. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.

"Is that what you're hoping for?" he asked as he pecked her lips.

"That's what I can guess," said Sakura as she kissed him again. "Are you saying a card and a rose aren't romantic? Because I thought it was," she said. Sasuke kissed her again before looking at her questioningly.

"What card?" he asked.

"The one you sent me back at the hotel," she said. "It came with a rose and a sweet message," Sasuke now looked at her with a somewhat confused expression.

"I didn't send you a card," said Sasuke. Sakura tilted her head to the side.

"You didn't?" she asked. "Well someone did and I thought it was you. Maybe it was my dad?" she thought. "Well thinking back on the message, it probably was him,"

"What did it say?" asked Sasuke, who was suddenly curious about who was sending her flowers.

"_I can't wait to see you tonight_," said Sakura. "It sounded romantic, but I guess he just missed me?" she asked. She could feel him tense as he looked into her eyes.

"Or it wasn't him," said Sasuke in a somewhat dark tone. Sakura chuckled.

"I don't think it could have been anyone else," said Sakura. "Who would send me something like that?" she asked. Sasuke still looked at her with that calculating look. He didn't like that someone sent her a love note, because that was what it was. Never take anything for granted. His grip around her tightened and his aura took a dark turn.

Sakura sensed his distrust and brought her hands up to his face.

"Hey," she said softly. "What's wrong? It's not that big of a deal. Or are you jeal-" she didn't get to finish that sentence as Sasuke pulled her into a rough kiss. His wandering hand traveled down her thigh as the other tangled itself in her hair and angling her head, deepening their kiss. Sakura couldn't help but moan into his mouth as his lips assaulted her own. Now she knew that he was jealous…extremely jealous.

His kisses grew more intense and forceful. She could feel her lips swell from the impact, but she liked it. She loved the intensity, and she loved that he was jealous. As evil as it might have been, she liked knowing that he didn't want her with anyone else, but her lungs were running out of air.

The sound of the timer going off alerted her that the cookies were done.

"Cook…ies" said Sakura in between kisses. "Sasuke," she said as she grabbed his face. "They'll burn," she said as he tried to kiss her again. Sasuke held her tighter for a few seconds before releasing a frustrated sigh and letting her go. They were both breathing heavily and she quickly hopped off the counter and put her oven mitts on.

"Honestly," said Sakura breathlessly as she pulled the oven door down. "I didn't know you were that jealous," she said as she pulled out the cookie sheets. She set them on the rack to cool and closed the oven door before removing her mitts.

"I'm not," he retorted as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah right," said Sakura. She came over and stood on her toes to give him a peck on the cheek. "You're putting too much thought into that card. I'll ask my dad if he sent it to me in the morning, which is only a few hours away. We should get some sleep," she said. Sasuke briefly looked her up and down before pulling her into his arms again.

"We should," he said making her blush. Sasuke leaned forward to kiss her, when the rest of the lights came on. Both turned to look at the intruder only to find a suspicious looking Neji standing in the doorway.

"Neji" said Sakura as she instantly pulled away from an annoyed Sasuke. "What are you doing up?" she asked. Neji just raised an eyebrow at the two.

"I could ask you the same," said Neji as he eyed her appearance. He gave Sasuke a glance and a partial glare. Neji's big brother instincts were kicking in. It was obvious what they were up to, and he didn't like it.

"Hn" said Sasuke. "Why are you here?" All these interruptions were really pissing him off.

"I have a pregnant wife to attend to," said Neji as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh is Tenten craving something?" asked Sakura excitedly. Her godmother mode was kicking in. Neji sighed.

"Cereal, bean paste, tomatoes...and olives" said Neji with an inward disgust. Sakura smiled at him and went to fix up a bowl for her. Neji stood at the doorway and continued to glare at Sasuke. Sasuke glared right back. Sakura was oblivious to the tension as she prepared the cereal. She got out some bean paste, chopped tomatoes and olives and put it in a separate cup and went to hand it to Neji.

"Hang in there, Neji. She's almost ready to deliver," she said as she handed him the cereal. "She lucky to have such a good husband" she said to placate him somewhat. Neji stopped glaring at Sasuke and gave her a meek smile.

"Thanks. Goodnight Sakura" he said as he turned to leave but not before giving Sasuke one last glare.

Sasuke glared right back and gave off an annoyed sigh.

"You should really get to bed," said Sakura. "I just have to clean up in here and put the cookies away," she said. Sasuke said nothing and didn't even look at her before walking out of the kitchen. Sakura watched him leave and sighed. Now he was upset. She cleaned the baking sheets and bowls and put them away in their proper places.

Sakura yawned as she turned the kitchen lights off and walked down the hallway. Being with Sasuke tired her out and she was looking forward to crawling into bed and snuggling with Katsuya and her pillow. She passed the living area where Sora and Suki were sleeping with the dogs surrounding them.

Pakkun perked his head up when she came into the area. Sakura put her fingers to her lips, telling him to be quiet. She smiled when she saw that Sora had kicked his blanket away in his sleep while Suki was curled up in her own blanket like a caterpillar with her stuffed piggy. Sakura brought the thick blanket over Sora's little body and tucked him in before smoothing out his hair and kissing his forehead. She gave Suki a kiss on her forehead as well and smiled at the two kids.

She was glad she baked those extra cookies for them. Pakkun scurried over to her and licked her hand. Sakura smiled at him and scooped the little dog into her arms.

"You were a bad doggie today," said Sakura as she scratched his head. She walked out of the room. "But I still love you," she said. Pakkun gave off a contented whimper and licked her face. He loved Sakura and always prided himself for being her favorite puppy throughout the years.

Sakura reached the stairs and placed one foot on the steps before Pakkun perked his head up. Sakura looked in his direction and that's when she noticed the shadow coming from the den. Judging from the chicken haired shadow, she knew it was Sasuke. The man just did not listen to reason. Sighing, Sakura changed course and walked over and sure enough, he was there.

* * *

**In the Den:**

"I thought you would've gone to bed," said Sakura. Sasuke turned from looking at the pictures on the mantle and saw her walk up to him…with that dog.

"Hn," said Sasuke as he and the dog in her arms locked eyes. Pakkun stared at the Uchiha male with lazy yet calculating eyes. Sasuke was instantly reminded of Shikamaru and he knew that this dog had a mission. Why did she bring the dog?

"Are you in pain?" she asked with concern. "I'm really surprised that you're walking around. It was a really deep cut," she said as she looked down at the dog in her arms. "He's usually such a good doggie,"

"Hn," said Sasuke. He got confused when she came closer to him and held out the dogs paw.

"Pakkun wants to say he's sorry," said Sakura. "Don't you Pakkun?" she said as she looked at the dog. Pakkun made a whimpering noise and continued to lock eyes with Sasuke, who didn't really know what to do at the moment. Did she expect him to shake his…paw? Instead he locked eyes with the dog again, staring him down.

Pakkun saw what he knew was a strong resolve behind those eyes of his. This man was strong, and there was something that he sensed beyond the surface. Few humans ever intimated him, and Sasuke was one of them. But he was surprised when Sasuke's hand came to rest on top of his head and stroke him.

"Awww there you go. All better," said Sakura as she put Pakkun on the ground. He just scurried of the couch and made himself comfortable. "Are you sure you're not in pain Sasuke?" asked Sakura.

"I'm fine," said Sasuke. "It's not like I can't walk," Sakura looked down at his leg and just noticed that he removed the dressings.

"You shouldn't have removed the bandages. Here, let me take a look at it," she said as she tried to get him to sit on the couch, however Sasuke wouldn't budge. "Sasuke, I'm serious let me take a look at it," she said as she grabbed his arm and literally dragged him there. Sasuke tried to remove his arm from her grasp.

"Sakura," said Sasuke.

"Sit down!" she yelled suddenly as she placed her hands on his chest and shoved him onto the couch. Sasuke grunted as he hit the sofa with a thud. What the hell? He wasn't expecting her to be forceful. Before he could say or do anything, Sakura was already on her knees and inspecting his ankle.

"Dammit Sakura, its fine," said Sasuke as he tried to pull away from her, but she had his leg in an iron grip and wouldn't let go.

"Just shut up and let me see it," she said as she traced the cut with her fingers. "See you shouldn't have taken the bandage off, the blood is barely coagulating and you could reopen it at any – oh just-stop struggling!" she said as she got up and sat on his lap with her back facing him. Sasuke froze the moment her ass made contact with the top of his thighs. She didn't notice as she bent down to inspect the cut. His eyes instantly went down to see her slightly exposed lower back. Did she realize what kind of position they were in and how hard he was trying not to get turned on? He averted his thoughts to other things and pushed back his arousal. That would have been a shocker if she abruptly leaned back against it.

"I have half a mind to go back and get some more gauze for you, but maybe you'll learn something if it gets infected and gives you more misery," she said. She was about to get up, but Sasuke's hands gripped her hips and forced her to stay where she was. It was at that moment when her eyes widened as she realized that she was sitting on her bosses lap. She could practically feel his smirk.

"Hn," said Sasuke as he pulled her back against his chest. Sakura looked back at him and huffed.

"You turned that around nicely," she said. "Stop smirking already!" she said as she tried to shove him on the shoulder, but couldn't since he held her arms down. She resisted his hold and squirmed around until she was at least sitting on the couch next to him, rather than on him. Sasuke snickered and kept his arm around her shoulders.

"Well if you're not sleeping then talk to me," said Sakura. "Being with me means lots and lots of talking," she said as he gave her that exasperated look. "Fine, I'll start. How's Sora doing with his karate?" she asked.

"He's doing fine," said Sasuke. When he saw Sakura gesture for him to continue, he sighed. "He's learned to coordinate his muscles without over exerting himself, and he's built up his stamina which means he can train longer," he said. Sakura smiled and placed her hand on her chest.

"My baby has muscles now? Awww my little man," she said affectionately. "He's been accident free for the longest time now and that's all thanks to you,"

"Hn," said Sasuke. "He's determined. Kind of reminds me of the Dobe and Neji combined," he said causing Sakura to chuckle. Since they were talking about kids, he might as well tell her about Suki. "Suki's been happier," he said, noticing her smile again.

"How so?" asked Sakura.

"Just, smiling more I guess," said Sasuke. "She's always smiling, even when the occasion doesn't call for it," he said while thinking back to their visit to the graveyard. "I'm not always there for her when she needs me," he admitted while looking ahead of them. "She puts on her brave face, just so I won't feel bad. I don't understand how she can do that," he said. Sakura placed her hand on his chest, making him turn back to her.

"Suki and I are the same in that sense. My dad was away a lot and yeah sometimes it got to me. But that doesn't mean we love our daddies any less. It just makes the time we have you even more special. Suki doesn't want you to feel sad. She loves you. She always talks about you," said Sakura. "She asked me to teach her how to cook tomatoes so she can make it for you," she said. Sasuke's lips turned up in the tiniest of smiles. "You're her hero,"

"Really," said Sasuke.

"Suki has so much to tell you, but she never does because she tells me that you're always busy," said Sakura. She saw the look of guilt that passed through his eyes. He never intentionally made himself a busy man, he just was.

Sakura placed her hand on the side of his face and looked into his eyes.

"You always close yourself off from everyone," she said. "Don't close yourself from your family, and don't hide from _me_," she said as her fingers smoothed out against his cheek. She looked at him with such sincerity and concern. She was so beautiful, even in her homely state. She truly cared about him and wanted to know that he was okay. Sasuke leaned his head forward so that it was touching hers. His arm around her tightened, bringing her closer while his other hand came to rest of her cheek. Slowly, he brought his lips down onto hers in a soft kiss. They barely broke apart before they kissed again, and again, and again.

Sakura wove her arms around his neck and leaned on him as he leaned back against the couch. His left hand went up her back while the right one came up to her face. She was practically lying on top of him as she kissed his cheeks and forehead. He could feel every curve of her body with her pressed over him like that, and it felt good. He brought her lips to his own in a long fervent kiss. In that moment, he felt close to her. Whatever else he was feeling at that moment was enough for him to tighten his hold on her waist, without any chance of letting go. Their lips parted ever so slightly, and Sasuke was able to gaze into her emerald eyes.

He had never been more enthralled by the color green before. Sakura gave him a quick kiss before resting her head on his chest and making herself comfortable against his right side as she yawned.

"You've got one minute to tell me something more until I fall asleep," said Sakura as she placed her hand on his chest and drew lazy patterns. Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes. When she wanted something, she really wouldn't give up. What did she find so fascinating about him anyway? "Anything besides 'hn' will do," she said sleepily. Sasuke smirked and held her closer.

"You're still annoying," said Sasuke. Sakura closed her eyes and gave a half smile.

"I know," she said in a whisper before her drifted off into sleep. She couldn't help it. He was so warm and comfortable to hold onto, and she was so tired. He won again. Sasuke knew she had drifted off and was grateful for it; anything to stop the questions. He felt something climb onto the couch by their feet and opened one eye to see Pakkun there. The small dog moved to their couch and pulled the blanket that was on the couch with his teeth, making it to fall on the both of them. Sasuke smirked and pulled the blanket over them. Seems like the dog approved of him after all.

Pakkun circled the area on the couch before lying down by their feet. He may have behaved around the Uchiha, but he was still a protective guard dog. No funny business on this doggie's watch.

Sasuke watched her sleeping face, memorizing every detail he could. He just now noticed how long her eyelashes were. The light from the fireplace reflected off her porcelain skin, making it glow into the night. Her warm body fit comfortably against him, and for once in his life, Sasuke felt a sense of peace as he lay there with her in his arms. Her even breathing soothed his senses, and he could feel his body surrendering to his unconscious.

He was never so content to fall asleep as he was at that moment.

* * *

**Itachi's POV: **

The Tokyo police department was busy with all kinds of activity going on. These missing persons were the hot case for all the major police departments; however most of them came from this very city.

Twenty feet below the police department was the underground CIA facility; Tokyo branch. It was quiet tonight. The usual amount of activity was done with the utmost secrecy, even within the department. Trust no one. That's the way of life in a society of individuals with IQ's above 150.

Itachi Uchiha was one of those individuals who trusted no one and was therefore working by himself in the data base corridor. He had been at it for about four hours and still hadn't come to anything conclusive. A flat screen monitor lowered before him and flashed indicating a video message. A robotic voice asked him if he wished to respond to the call.

"Display call," said Itachi as he leaned back in his chair. Shikamaru Nara's face appeared. He was smoking a cigarette in what seemed to be some sort of greenhouse or flower shop "Shikamaru" he said with a nod.

"Itachi," said Shikamaru. "How's the research going?" he asked as he smoked.

"No progress," said Itachi. "I trust that you have information regarding that other matter though," he said. Shikamaru blew out the smoke before nodding.

"I've made as many comparisons and references at possible. Everything given was legit," he said as a few documents appeared on the screen. One was a profile on Sai, followed by Sakura and Sora's profile as well. "Basically, Sora is the legitimate son of Sai and Sakura. No genetic alterations or codes can be detected from his blood line and the fingerprint data base is up to code,"

"All fair," said Itachi. "No other family members from Sai's side?" he asked, even though he already knew.

"As far as the blood work goes, no other families on Japan match the records with Sai's bloodline. As a matter of fact, the Black Ops division is the only carrier of his genetic information. A select few have access to that branch, primarily Danzo, and the only one we're affiliated with is…" he said.

"Kakashi," said Itachi as he leaned back in his chair. "And he's already made his own records as far as Sai goes,"

"Right," said Shikamaru. "As far as Sakura goes, the Commander is the only living blood relative, aside from her son,"

"She's got quite the family line though," said Itachi. "Daughter of Hatake Kakashi and Rin, Granddaughter of the legendary Sakumo Hatake, wife of the top Black Ops Assassin Sai and apprentice to Tsunade herself,"

"CIA royalty," said Shikamaru as he blew out his cigarette smoke again. "Researching matters this close to internal affairs is no easy task. That's about as troublesome as it gets," he said before he was suddenly strangled from behind.

"There you are you lazy ass," said Ino as she appeared on the screen. "Of all the places for you to smoke you come into my parent's greenhouse? You'll kill the flowers you idiot! What kind of genius are you?" shouted Ino as she continued to strangle her husband.

"Good evening Ino," said Itachi as he watched the marital banter. Ino looked into the screen, clearly unaware that Shikamaru was working and released her choke hold on him.

"Oh hi Itachi," said Ino as she smiled sheepishly. "I didn't know you were there. You're working this late?" she asked as Shikamaru gasped for air while muttering strings of troublesomes.

"No time for sleep, as I'm sure you know," said Itachi. "But it seems like I've kept him from you long enough. This information should suffice for now Shikamaru." He said. Shikamaru composed himself and nodded.

"I'll be in to review tomorrow," said Shikamaru before tuning out of his end of the computer.

* * *

**Kakashi's House: Next morning**

Kakashi woke up from his sleep, stretched a bit and then tossed on a robe and went downstairs to get the newspaper. As usual his dogs greeted him, minus Pakkun, at the foot of the stairs. They seemed eager about something. He passed the den and went outside to get the paper. There was a small package wrapped in brown paper on top of the newspaper. Kakashi unwrapped in and nearly shouted to the heavens when he saw it was the latest edition of Icha Icha Paradise!

Kakashi tucked the scandalous book under his arm and picked up the newspaper and stared at the front page. His giddy feeling was lost when he read through it.

Another missing person reported in the last month. Sighing Kakashi continued to read the headlines when his dogs stopped near the den. Kakashi looked up and dropped the paper to the ground.

There on the couch looking snug and intimate was his daughter in the arms of the Uchiha with her head resting on his chest, her body nearly lying on top of him…and his arms wrapped possessively around her waist. Pakkun was at their feet.

His right eye began to twitch uncontrollably as the urge to pry his baby girl out of that man's arms overtook him, but that would definitely cause a scene. Instead, he forced himself to walk past them and into the kitchen.

Kakashi tried to calm down as he grabbed the ingredients began to make his famous pancakes for a house full of guests, only occasionally twitching at the thought of Sakura in Sasuke's arms. At least Pakkun being there guaranteed that nothing happened.

Pancakes were something that he would make almost every morning when Sakura was younger, seeing as how it was her favorite breakfast. No matter how tired she was, she would always come down to the smell of fresh pancakes. She was such a gem when she was small. Kakashi remembered seeing her walk in through the kitchen, blanket in one arm while the other rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

She would walk right into the kitchen and call out to him, and then proceed to help him finish the pancakes by adding chocolate chips. She always had a sweet tooth.

Kakashi closed his eyes remembering the good times, when Sakura didn't know what boys were. He snapped out of his dream when he heard a familiar angelic voice call out to him.

"Daddy?"

Kakashi opened his eyes and half expected to see a five-year-old Sakura standing in the doorway. Instead, he was greeted with another five-year-old: Suki. She was dressed in light blue footy pajamas and rubbing the sleep out of her eye while holding onto a stuffed pig. Kakashi smiled. Father time really enjoyed playing with him.

"Well, hello there," said Kakashi as he smiled at the little girl. Suki stopped rubbing her eye and looked over at Sora's Grandpa and blinked. Clearly she forgot that she wasn't in her own home.

"Hi Mr. Sora's Grandpa," said Suki, not really knowing what to call him. "I thought you were my Daddy," she said as she smiled. Pakkun and the rest of the dogs came up to her and licked her good morning. Suki giggled as they did this. There were so many of them that she was getting lost among them.

Kakashi smiled and went over to stop her from getting crushed.

"Alright now," he said as he pulled the dogs away. "Let her through. Would you like some pancakes?" he asked.

"Yes please," said Suki. "Pancakes are my favorite!" she said happily.

"I could use some help making them too," said Kakashi. "Do you know how to make pancakes?" he asked.

"My Daddy showed me how. I can help," she said as she stood next to him. Kakashi pulled up a bar chair and placed Suki on top so she could see.

"I'll have you mix the batter," said Kakashi as he gave her the whisk. Suki happily stirred the batter next to him and helped him pour it onto the pan. They had made several batches before their houseguests came crawling.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: **

Sasuke opened his eyes when he smelled pancakes. After blinking a few times, he moved to get up when he realized that there was something clinging to his side. He turned and was met with her sleeping face. She had not moved from her position all night and neither had he. Her hand that was resting on his chest was gripping onto his shirt, and her nose was twitching; probably due to the smell of pancakes wafting through the air.

"nnn…Daddy?" she said sleepily as she stirred. She slowly opened her eyes, and was met with onyx counterparts, starring at her intently. Sakura's eyes widened for a second before remembering her position. She smiled at him and got up from his side. "Not daddy," she said as she yawned and stretched. She looked at the clock and saw that it was 9:00 in the morning; she froze as realization that her father had probably seen them sleeping together flashed across her mind.

"Crap," said Sakura as she shuffled out of the blanket and got off the couch. "It's already nine," she said making Sasuke to look at the clock. He had never slept in so late before.

"That doesn't give us much time to get to the station. We have to leave here by noon," said Sasuke. Sakura ran her fingers through her hair and look around the living room. She was a little too preoccupied with the knowledge that her father saw them. She knew he did. He was always the early riser and she knew he was cooking pancakes, which meant he had to pass the den in order to get to the kitchen.

"Sakura," said Sasuke, snapping her out of her revere. "Did you hear what I said?" he asked, not really liking repeating himself.

"What?" she asked.

"I said we have three hours to get to the train station. I don't want to miss it again. Traffic will be ridiculous as it is this time of day," he said.

"Right, I'll make sure everyone's ready on time," she said. "But first, let's go eat breakfast," she said as she grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the kitchen. "I refuse to function without Daddy's pancakes," she said when she saw him about to resist.

They entered the kitchen, which was bustling with activity. Suki and Kakashi were making pancakes, while Hinata was cooking what appeared to be breakfast sandwiches on the mini grill. Neji was at the table drinking coffee and reading a newspaper while Tenten was chowing down on a stack of fluffy pancakes. The only person who was missing was…

"Well look who decided to wake up from their honeymoon," said Naruto as he came from behind them and placed an arm over each of their shoulders. "Had a good night?" he asked mischievously as he grinned at them. His grin disappeared when Sakura punched him in the gut while blushing about his comment. Luckily, no one heard him and didn't notice them until Suki called them.

"Daddy look I made pancakes," she said as she walked up to him with a plate. Sasuke took her little hand and walked away from Naruto, who was still keeled over from Sakura's punch.

Everyone ate their breakfast before getting ready within the hour and packing up to go back home.

* * *

**Train Station: **

Everyone gathered at the train station around 2:00 PM. Shikamaru and Ino had actually left on an earlier train, seeing as how he had some important things to get back to sooner.

"Grandpa, can you come with us?" asked Sora as he tugged on his Grandfather's coat. He really loved his Grandfather and hated being away from him. Kakashi smiled and picked him up.

"I wish I could, but I have to stay here," said Kakashi. "But I'll come visit you soon. I promise," Sora continued to pout, but nodded his head.

"Okay," said Sora dejectedly. Sakura smiled sympathetically at her son. It was times like these when she felt like a bad guy for taking him away from the only real father figure he grew up with.

"Maybe he can come for your Karate match next month," said Sakura as she looked at her father expectantly. Sora looked back at Kakashi hopefully.

"Can you Grandpa?" asked Sora. Kakashi smiled and nodded his head.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything," said Kakashi. "I want to see how much stronger my ninja man has become. You're doing a good job protecting your mother. In fact…" said Kakashi as he dug through his coat pocket. "I think it's time that I give you this," he said as he pulled out a small case. He lifted the lid and displayed a knife-like object within it.

"Is that a dagger?" asked Sakura as she looked at the sharp object. Sora however, was awestruck.

"Coooooooooool," said Sora as he stared at it in amazement.

"It's a Kunai knife, just like the one real ninjas used to use," said Kakashi. "And now it's' yours," he said as he carefully handed it over to Sora. Sakura rolled her eyes as her father handed that sharp object to her son.

"Thanks Grandpa," said Sora. Kakashi ruffled his hair.

"Use it only to protect the ones you love," said Kakashi. Sora nodded as he looked down at the dagger. This was officially the coolest gift ever! Sakura however, was not too thrilled.

"Was that really the best thing to give to a five-year-old Daddy?" asked Sakura as she placed her hand on top of Sora's head, looking at her father accusingly. "I can see the future wounds already," she said. Her father just smiled and stood.

"I think he'll be fine," said Kakashi. "It's a family heirloom after all. It's only right that he should have it,"

"Couldn't it have waited thirteen more years?" asked Sakura. Kakashi just grinned. Sakura sighed and checked the time on her watch. Kakashi checked his watch too, and knew that she would be leaving him again soon. It didn't get any easier saying good bye.

"Come back soon alright?" said Kakashi. "Four months is still a long time," Sakura smiled and went to hug her father. Kakashi wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"We will. Don't worry," said Sakura. "And you need to come see us too. There's always a place for you with me, you know that,"

"The same goes for you," said Kakashi. "You're room will always be there…literally," he said with a chuckle. He kept her in his arms as long as he could, partly because he knew that the Uchiha was watching them and Kakashi wanted to show him where his authority over her life stood, but mostly because he would miss her greatly the moment she was out of sight.

"You're the best Daddy in the whole world," said Sakura as she continued to hug her father. Kakashi chuckled and kissed her forehead. The train pulled up and everyone else bid him a farewell before getting on the train.

"Bye Grandpa," said Sora as he hugged his Grandfather. Kakashi picked him up and hugged him back. He would miss his little ninja man.

"Bye Daddy, I love you," said Sakura as she kissed his cheek. Kakashi placed his hand on the side of her face.

"I love you too, always," said Kakashi. "Be safe," he said as he placed Sora on the ground. Sakura smiled at him and took Sora's hand. With one final wave, they boarded the train.

As the train pulled away, Kakashi pulled out his cell phone and dialed Anko's number. He suddenly felt very alone, and she was the only person that could make that feeling go away.

* * *

**Sakura's House: Midnight **

Sakura and Sora stepped out of the cab and after paying the driver and went up to their home. Even though it was midnight, Sora was still wide-awake and playing with his new Kunai.

"Sora put that Kunai away. You are not allowed to play with that until you're older," said Sakura. She laughed at Sora's pouty face and inserted the key into the lock. She pushed the door open and walked into the dark living room. Sora followed her in and nearly tripped over something that was on the floor.

"Ow," said Sora as he tried to get up. Sakura went to flip the switch on near the door. Once she did, she gasped at what she saw.

"What the…," said Sakura as she saw the wreckage. The living room was completely turned upside down and trashed. Someone had been in here when they were away. Fear immediately filled her body, for she realized that they could still be in here. Sora got up and stared at the room wide eyed.

"Mommy?" he asked uncertainly as he looked in her direction.

"Sora we have to go right now," she said as she moved towards him. Then she saw the horrified expression on his face as he pointed behind her. But before she could say anything, Sakura felt a hand cover her mouth and something wrap around her neck and tug her backwards onto someone's chest.

"Mommy!" shouted Sora as he watched the scary man in black strangle his mother.

"Mph!" said Sakura as she brought her arms up to try to pry the arms off her. The man behind her tightened his hold around her as he attempted to lift her off the ground. Sakura instinctively brought her foot up and slammed it down onto her captor's foot, making him to grunt and barely loosen his hold on her neck.

Sakura turned around gasping and quickly shoved her palm upwards and slammed against his nose giving her the space she needed to get away from him. She tried to move towards Sora, who was paralyzed with fear.

The man quickly got over the assault and reached over and grabbed her arm and harshly shoved her against the wall. Sakura yelped as her head and her back painfully hit the wall. Sora snapped out of his stupor and ran over to the man and gave him a swift kick on his ankle.

The intruder turned his head to the boy and shoved him out of the way, making him to fall to the ground.

"Sora!" said Sakura as she saw him fall. "Run baby!" she said as she tried to shove the man off her, but he was just too overpowering.

"Shut up!" said the man as he flipped her around and shoved her against the wall again; making her hit her head against the picture frame that was there. The glass shattered and fell to the ground, and Sakura screamed in pain as blood seeped from the cut. He grabbed her wrists together and was about to tie them together when all of the sudden, and immense pain shot through his right leg, ripping through the muscle.

"AHHHH!" said the man as he looked and saw what appeared to be a knife imbedded deep into his thigh. Blood oozed out of the wound as he saw that it was the boy who did that. He released his hold on Sakura, who slid to the floor, and grunted as he removed the dagger. It was dripping with his blood and staining the carpet as he quickly moved towards the boy.

Sora stood in fear as the man came to him with the knife in his hand. He reached for the boy, but before he could strike, Sakura had thrown herself onto his back with enough force to topple them to the ground.

"Sora! Run away from here! Go!" shouted Sakura as she struggled with the man beneath her. Sora saw the blood dripping from the side of her head as his mother struggled with the man, who quickly flipped them over so that she was beneath him.

"Get off my Mommy!" shouted Sora as he ran to kick them man, only this time, he gave him a good kick right over his blood stained leg. The man cried out in anguish giving Sakura enough time to gather her strength and shove him off her.

She immediately scrambled to her feet, grabbed Sora's hand and rushed out the door, only to collide with another chest. Sakura screamed as his arms held her.

"Go Akamaru!" he said. Sakura looked up and realized that it was none other than Kiba. A big white dog quickly ran past him barking up a storm as he jumped into the house. The sound of glass breaking followed by the sound of something launching came. Sakura didn't even look back as she clung to both Kiba and Sora. Her heart was racing and her head was throbbing. She could feel herself becoming lost as she began to lose consciousness and fall limp in Kiba's arms.

The last thing she heard before she surrendered to the darkness was her son's voice, desperately calling out to her.

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

An abandoned warehouse just on the outskirts of Tokyo stood still. It hadn't been in use for over ten years, and no one think twice about inspecting it for criminal activity. It was surrounded by a desolate wasteland and was so barren that only sand could thrive around it. About several feet underground from this particular warehouse though, was a place that was undetectable to the surface.

It was a labyrinth of rooms and chambers that were filled with all kinds of experimental equipment with the smell of formaldehyde and an ever so slight hint of blood lingering in the air. In one particular room, was a man, who was sitting with what appeared to be an autopsy cadaver on the table next to him. It was a woman, who appeared to be in her late forties, with her abdomen exposed to the air.

He heard the chamber door open and saw his little pawn walking in from his latest mission. He closed his books and straightened up before him. He noticed that he was limping, as well as bleeding from his right leg.

"I would trust that everything went as planned, however I can see that you ran into some interference," He said with a devious smirk. "CIA is such a damned annoyance. Which one got you?" he asked.

"Not important," said his little pawn. The last thing he needed was to have his name discredited by a five-year-old boy. "There was no time to rummage. She returned before I could leave," he said, noticing his boss's sudden change in mood from playful, to deadly.

"Did you…touch her?" He asked vaguely. His glasses caught the light and cast a glare on the lenses, making it hard to read his eyes. He knew he had to tread carefully with his responses. This was a sick man that he was dealing with after all.

"I had to restrain her," he said. "However the CIA saw fit to interfere at that point. She is unharmed," he said, knowing full well that he at least landed a concussion or two on the woman's head. He also remembered that she was bleeding.

"She better be," said Kabuto as he pushed the rim of his glasses up. He then placed a smirk on his face and looked at his pawn expectantly. The man internally rolled his eyes before reaching into his bag and pulling out a thin piece of silky white material. He then walked away and left his boss to his own twisted thoughts.

After his pawn left, Kabuto held the stolen material before him and looked at it; it was one of her nightgowns. The last sight of her in that white ball gown had him desperate for her touch. He began to envision her body covered in the white silky material, before ripping it off her with his teeth. He brought the delicate material to his face and breathed in deeply. Her scent flooded his mind with images of what he would do to her once he had her. All of them involved her screaming his name.

Her face, her body, her soul would all belong to him soon enough. Once he was finished with his research and eliminated all other obstacles along the way, he would make his move.

"_But for now…" _thought Kabuto as he fisted the gown in his palm "_It's time for bed," _he thought as he walked out of his lab.

He would have many a good nights with this small piece of his cherry blossom beside him.

* * *

**Authors Note: **

**Mystery Dude number one has finally been revealed as KABUTO! Congrats to those of you who guess correctly on that one. But that still leaves you with the second one, what none of you will ever guess because its way too complicated to piece together. MUAHAHAHA! **


	21. Repercussions

**To Love and To Love Again Chapter 21: Repercussions**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Kakashi's POV:**

Kakashi sighed as he stepped into his house. When he called Anko, she said she was busy with a case and that he should grow up and get over himself. Needless to say that left him in more of a slump. Sakura was gone all but seven hours and already he missed her.

He hung up his coat and kicked off his shoes before his dogs came to greet him as usual. They could sense their master's distress. Kakashi lazily patted their heads and continued to walk into the house when his cell phone rang. He pulled it out and saw the caller ID as Asuma.

"Kakashi here," he said as he plopped down in his arm chair. Asuma's voice sounded grave on the other end.

"Kakashi…," came Asuma's serious voice. What he heard next was the most heart stopping sentence he had ever heard in his life. "Sakura…she…" he went onto explaining the incident, not knowing that the phone had slipped from Kakashi's hand and onto the floor when he got the message. Kakashi bolted from his home and speed off towards the CIA station, where he knew a helicopter to Tokyo was waiting for him.

* * *

**Konoha Medical Center ER:**

The doors to the ER were flung open as its CEO came bursting through its doors. Nurses and doctors alike moved out of his way as he made his way through the ward. Sasuke had received the phone call from Itachi about the break in at Sakura's house. The fact that he was informed by his brother first instead of his own legal department was an issue to press later on. He spotted Hinata at the work station.

He didn't notice the stares and murmurs that lingered in the air. Sakura's arrival in the ER made for nursing gossip that he just didn't care for at the moment.

"Where is she?" asked Sasuke fiercely as he placed his hands on the counter. Hinata looked up with a worried face when she saw him.

"She's down in MRI with Neji. So far there's no major damage done. Just minor injuries…" she said quickly. However that didn't sustain Sasuke at all.

"And what about Sora," asked Sasuke.

"He's with Naruto in pediatrics. He sustained minor carpet burns…" she didn't get to finish as he turned around and immediately headed in that direction. The night shift personnel cleared the way when they saw who was storming down the halls of the ER. After passing the many beds that made up the ward, Sasuke pushed open the double doors that lead into Pediatrics, where he immediately spotted Naruto treating Sora.

Both turned their heads in his direction, and it took Sora a few seconds before jumping off the gurney and running toward him. Sasuke could see the fear in his eyes and increased his pace, meeting him half way in the aisle. Sasuke caught Sora as he ran into his arms and held onto him as the boy began to sob. Relief washed over his body now that he knew that he wasn't seriously hurt.

Naruto stood dumbfounded at the sight. For one thing, he was not anticipating Sora running to Sasuke as is he was his father. And judging from the expressions from the personnel around him, he knew he wasn't the only who thought that.

What was even stranger was Sasuke's behavior. The way his eyes changed from furious to worried, then down to relieved when he caught sight of Sora was that of a parents. Sasuke meant so much more to Sora than he had anticipated; that much was now clear.

"You're safe," said Sasuke as he placed his large hand over Sora's little head. He noticed the gauze that was wrapped around his forearm. "It's ok now," he said as he tried to calm the crying boy. He caught Naruto's eye and walked over to him with Sora in his arms.

"What the hell happened to them?" he hissed, trying to keep his fury in check.

"All we know is that they were attacked as soon as they got home. Some random act of burglary according to the cops," Naruto answered. "She was on adrenalin high by the time she got here and needed some serious sedatives before testing. Anyway the cops won't say anything else but all we know is that if Kiba hadn't shown up when he did, who knows what might ha-"

"Kiba?" asked Sasuke.

"Yeah, it was great timing on his part. He was out walking his dog when all of the sudden, Akamaru bolts towards Sakura's house. Kiba followed and heard the commotion before he actually figured out what was going on and stepped in," he said. "He saved them both. Who knows how much worse she-"

"What happened to her?" he interrupted with a new level of fury in his tone. "What did that bastard try to do to her?" he asked refusing to picture the thought that were running through his mind.

"That, I don't know," Naruto replied. "What I do know is that bastard wasn't anticipating Sakura being at home, and that resulted in him trying to…get rid of her," he said with just as much fury in his voice. He felt as though someone just tried to kill his sister.

Sasuke was beyond furious at this point. He was downright livid.

* * *

**Sakura's house: crime scene**

Police tap was placed around the perimeter of the building. Several cops were stationed around the place and a team of investigators were inside documenting and extracting evidence. Out of the ten officers stationed to the precinct, four consisted of undercover CIA.

Itachi had arrived moments after he had placed the call to Sasuke. He walked towards the building, ducking under the yellow caution tape and treading carefully towards the back end of the house, where he was stopped by guard, who asked him for his ID.

As soon as Itachi flipped his detective badge over, the guard immediately apologized and allowed him entry. He walked up the stone steps and over to Sakura's condo taking in the sight.

"About time you got here," Shikamaru grunted. He got up from his kneeling position on the floor near the blood stains. Itachi quickly scanned the entire room with his eyes.

"He was looking for something," said Itachi taking note of the pulled out drawers and overturned furniture.

"Yeah, and most likely he didn't find it before he got interrupted," said Shikamaru as he stared pointedly at the blood stains on the wall and carpet. "We won't know for sure until we have Sakura go through her things and verify if anything is missing,"

"Hn," said Itachi. "This encounter happened as soon as they arrived. Follow the marks, and you see what happened. It started here," he said indicating the entry way. "Then it dragged to the hallway," he said pointing where the cracked mirror lay broken on the ground.

"The blood on the wall most likely belongs to Sakura," said Shikamaru. "The pool on the floor isn't hers. A dagger was retrieved, and since neither Sakura nor her son had any knife wounds, it belongs to the attacker. Kiba can give us a better insight to his physical appearance, but he's' down in the agency giving his report," he said. Itachi nodded.

"How long do you think until the Commander shows up?" asked Shikamaru.

"Two, maybe three hours tops," said Itachi. "I'm going to examine the exterior of the building. He'll want a full report by the time he gets here," he said as he walked outside.

Shikamaru sighed and placed a hand over his forehead. "…troublesome," he muttered.

* * *

**Sasuke's Office:**

Sasuke sat in his office. His computer was on and he was busy pulling up security databases and floor plans. Apparently, Sakura's house was not equipped with a security system, and he was going to make sure she had one. Sora, who refused to remain in the ER, had long since fallen asleep on the couch with Sasuke's coat wrapped around him.

It was nearing 6:00 AM, and the sun was beginning to rise, casting an orangey morning glow through the glass back walls of Sasuke's office. He was waiting for the phone call giving him the clear to take Sakura and Sora home, and by home he meant his own.

The phone finally rang around 6:15. Sasuke picked it up and received the clear.

* * *

**Sakura's POV: **

Sakura opened her eyes slowly. She looked around the room, which was slightly blurry until everything came into focus, as well as the memories of last night. She got up with a jolt, nearly falling back down from the blood rush. A pair of arms caught her shoulders before she could.

"Take it easy there," said Naruto. He was dressed casually in jeans, a black jacket and his signature orange t-shirt, meaning he wasn't working at the moment.

"Where's Sora?" asked Sakura as she brought a hand to her forehead. Naruto helped her sit up carefully.

"He's with Sasuke in his office. They're coming down right now," said Naruto. Sakura sighed with relief and gave Naruto a small smile, which made Naruto grin. "Well you look like you're getting better if you can smile, believe it,"

"mmmm" she groaned. "How bad am I?" she asked. Her body couldn't register any pain or soreness, but she did feel heavy and sluggish. They must have drugged her up good.

"You managed to get away with a concussion and pretty bad gash on the side of your head," he said watching her touch the white gauze covering the wound. "And the scrapes on your knuckles mean you were trying to fight him off," he said while shaking his head.

"Sora's okay?" she asked. "He wasn't hurt?"

"Just a carpet burn, I checked him myself," said Naruto with his big reassuring eyes. "There they are," he said while tilting his head to the side. Sakura followed his direction and saw Sasuke walking down the hall with a sleeping Sora in his arms. Sasuke had covered him with his coat.

Sakura got off the gurney with Naruto's help and walked to meet them, placing her hands on Sora's head.

"Oh my baby," she whispered in relief. She kissed his cheek softly and rested her head against his for a moment. Then she looked at Sasuke and felt even more relief as she gave him a small smile.

"You got this?" asked Naruto. Sasuke nodded and Naruto bid them farewell before leaving.

"Neji signed your release papers," said Sasuke taking in her appearance and not liking the bandage on her head. Sakura nodded.

"Okay," said Sakura. "So…we can go home," she said. Sasuke shook his head.

"Not at the moment," said Sasuke. "Your house is a crime scene. You can't go back until the police investigation is over and until they clean up the mess. Can you walk?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said as she followed him out to the main entrance. Sasuke shifted Sora to one arm and used his free arm to hover behind her back. "I'll need to go back and get our things at least and take them to a hotel. Can I at least do that?" she asked.

"That's not necessary," said Sasuke as they walked outside where his car was parked in front of the entrance. "The police pulled out your bags from the trip and you're not going to a hotel. You're coming home with me," he said as he unlocked the doors.

Sakura stopped in surprise. "But that's not-"she started.

"Don't argue with me on this," he said sternly as he rounded on her. "We'll talk more about this when we get there. Suki will be surprised," he said with a small smirk. Sakura let it go after that.

She sat in the back seat of his car with Sora. Having him cradled in her arms calmed her. She was so glad he was okay. She couldn't remember much after the attack, only bits and parts of being transported to the hospital and the MRI's. She didn't even register why Sasuke was there, although she could guess it was because of her.

Sasuke didn't speak at all during the car ride to his house. Sakura took a chance and glanced at his rear view mirror, only to see that he was glaring at the road as if it had pissed him off in some way. Yet still, she found his presence to be securing. She wasn't scared…at least not right now.

It was 7:00 AM on the dot when they arrived at his house. To her great surprise, his mother was the one who greeted them at the door with a smile.

"I'm so glad you're back," said Mikoto. Her long raven hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and she was wearing an apron over her attire. "Suki's just woken up," she said while allowing them entry. She smiled at Sakura as she passed her.

"It's good to see you again Mrs. Uchiha," said Sakura. Mikoto smiled at her and patted her arm.

"Likewise, although I would have hoped for a less serious occasion," she said. "I'm so sorry about what happened, you must be really put out," she said. Sakura sighed.

"Well it's over," said Sakura as she watched Sasuke walk upstairs with a still sleeping Sora. She felt Mikoto's hands guide her to the kitchen, where she could smell delicious aromas of breakfast in the air. She could also hear soft classical music. She recalled Sasuke mentioning that his mother liked to listen to music while cooking.

"Well I'm glad you're staying here for the time being. We can't leave one of our best doctors alone in a time like this. Have a seat and I'll get you some breakfast," she said.

"Oh let me help you," said Sakura, but Mikoto only shook her head.

"You're here to rest," she said as she led Sakura to the dining table. Seeing as how she still felt groggy, Sakura complied. She didn't realize it before, but she was starving. It had been a while since she had eaten anything. Mikoto brought her a fully loaded plate of every breakfast item imaginable along with a glass of juice and a cup of coffee. Sakura dove right in.

A few minutes later, the sound of small scurried footsteps caught her attention. When she lifted her head, she saw Suki make her way around the corner and run in her direction. She was dressed in her happy yellow pajamas and what she assumed was Sasuke's white shirt since it dragged on the floor. She was also carrying her little doctor's kit. She looked like she was on a mission.

"Aunty Sakura!" said Suki as she came and hugged her waist. Sakura put her fork down and turned in her chair to hug her back.

"Hi cutie pie," she said cheerily. She heard Mikoto chuckle in the background. Suki looked at her face and gasped.

"You got a boo-boo Aunty Sakura," she said as she zeroed in on the white gauze on the side of her head.

"Yes I did," said Sakura. "But uncle Neji and Aunty Hinata fixed it for me," she said before turning face into a mock pout. "But nobody gave me a get well kissy," she said. Suki's eyes went wide.

"Not even _Daddy_?" she asked, her little voice echoing in the large kitchen. Sakura gaped and blushed at the same time, well aware that Mikoto was in hearing distance and listening to them. She heard her pause whatever she was doing for a moment.

"No!" she said quickly. "Not your Daddy," she said. "But I still need one. What do you say doctor Suki?" she said as she picked Suki up. Suki wasted no time giving her Aunty Sakura a kissy on her cheek.

"All better!" said Suki as she was placed back on the ground. Mikoto came around to the table with a plate for Suki and placed it in the chair with the booster seat that was across from Sakura.

"Come and eat your breakfast dear," said Mikoto, but Suki pouted.

"Grandma I want to sit next to Aunty Sakura," said Suki as she shuffled into the chair next to her. Mikoto slide the plate over to her and chuckled. Sasuke made his way downstairs dressed in a blue business shirt and black slacks with his coat draped over his shoulder. Sakura watched him come down and set his coat on a chair across from Suki before going to get himself a cup of coffee.

"Going so soon Sasuke?" asked Mikoto as her son grabbed the newspaper on the counter.

"Hn," said Sasuke. "There's a lot of PR that needs to be taken care of," he said as he skimmed the newspaper, where an article regarding the disappearing person's cases was once again on the front page.

"At least eat something before you go," she said. Sasuke was about to decline, before she gave him a stern look. "You're not to leave until you eat," she said. Sasuke sighed and went to sit at the table without any complaints. She was still his mother after all.

Suki smiled at her father as he sat down and swung her legs back and forth underneath the table, giving her a little bounce in her seat.

"Is Aunty Sakura going to live with us Daddy?" she asked as she shoved another piece of toast in her mouth. Sakura chuckled.

"Only for a little bit," said Sakura. "Sora and I can't go home right now so we'll be here until we can," she said while patting her head. Suki smiled at the thought.

"They'll be here as long as it takes," said Sasuke with a certain edge to his meaning. This went unnoticed by Sakura. His eye shifted in her direction briefly before going back to the paper. Mikoto brought him his plate of food, which was stacked with generous proportions. Sasuke began eating while reading the paper.

The three of them sat at the table, eating breakfast and talking. Well, Sasuke was eating while Suki chatted away to Sakura about her upcoming ballet recital. Mikoto joined them at the table and observed. She found Sakura to be highly interesting. Sasuke got up once he finished his breakfast and prepared to leave.

He gave Suki a kiss good bye, and a ruffled her hair. "Take care of them," he said to Suki.

"Do you have to go Daddy?" asked Suki with disappointment laced in her words. Sasuke stopped and braced himself to explain before Sakura spoke.

"He'll be back as soon as he can," said Sakura. "In the meantime, we can bake some new kinds of cookies for him to try when he comes back. How does that sound?" she asked. Suki's eyes lit up with the thought of cookies clouding her mind.

"I want to make chocolate cookies with gummy bears!" she said happily. "You can eat them when you come home Daddy," she said while smiling at him. Sasuke mentally cringed but smirked and nodded. He then gave Sakura a meaningful look, still conscious of his mother's presence, before turning around and grabbing his car keys and leaving.

Sakura turned back to her plate, which was almost empty since she'd eaten everything Sasuke's mother had made. The coffee helped wake her up, which was good. She didn't want to spend her time here sleeping, not after she had just promised Suki to spend the day with her. She sipped more coffee and glanced at the small girl sitting next to her.

"Are you excited about you're ballet recital Suki?" asked Mikoto. "Grandpa and I will be there to see you this time,"

"Uh huh," said Suki. "We get to dress up like flowers this time. And we can pick what kind of flower to be," she added.

"That sounds nice," said Sakura thinking that it was so Ino. She was probably having a field day thinking of flower costumes for the girls. "What kind of flower are you going to be?" she asked.

"Aunty Ino said I can be a Sakura blossom," she said happily. Sakura looked surprised for a moment before smiling.

"Is that because you like pink?" asked Mikoto while eyeing Sakura on the sly. Suki shook her head.

"I heard Aunty Ino say it's because she thinks Daddy loves Sakura's," she said. Sakura choked on her coffee and brought her hand up to her chest. She turned her head to the side and tried to control it.

"_Damn you Ino,"_ she thought knowing full well what the blond dancer was up to. Ino was downright nosy when she wanted to be, and to spread her influence on little Suki was really unexpected. Oh she wanted things to take off with Sasuke. She wanted it bad. Ino was probably planning her wedding right now. Sakura wouldn't put it past her. She would need to be more careful from now on.

"Really?" asked Mikoto, though she seemed less shocked than Sakura. She had her eyes glued to choking woman the entire time, taking in her reaction to the info. Sakura composed herself as best she could and turned back with watery eyes.

"Well," said Sakura with a slightly high pitched voice. "As soon as you're done with breakfast, we can get started on those cookies," she said with a hesitant laugh. She would definitely have to call Ino and find out what the hell her most vivacious girlfriend was planning.

"Well perhaps you should wait until your son is awake," said Mikoto. "His name is Sora correct?" she asked. Sakura nodded and Mikoto smiled. "You named him after the skies,"

"Yes," said Sakura with a chuckle. "He's such a feisty little guy, even in the womb. Looking at the stars seemed to settle him down so his father thought we should name him Sora," she said while looking at Suki now and running her fingers through her midnight locks. "He's still a trouble maker isn't he?" she asked. Suki giggled.

"Yeah," she said. "Can we make him tomato cookies to make him feel better?" she asked. Sakura mentally gagged. The things this child said absolutely amused her.

"Uh…maybe we should start with the chocolate ones," she said. Suki agreed and soon they got started with Mikoto's help.

**Later that night…**

After Sasuke had come home to more than five batches of cookies, some of them smelling like tomatoes, the four of them ate dinner and turned in early for bed. Sora had been deathly quiet the whole day but not as clingy, which worried Sakura, but she chose to let it go. She had gotten one of the guest rooms and Sora was sleeping in Suki's room.

After battling with sleep for an hour, Sakura decided to check in on him for a bit.

She went into Suki's room and laid her head next to Sora's and smoothed out his hair. He was sleeping soundly with a peaceful look on his face, for which Sakura was grateful. She only hoped that he wouldn't have any nightmares tonight. He was prone to nightmares every time he thought too much of something. Sakura thought it was because he retained such a good memory of things that he found it hard to let go, even in the subconscious. Forgetting this incident would be almost impossible for him.

Sora stirred and Sakura smoothed out his hair once more. He settled back down at her comforting touch. Sakura placed a soft kiss on his forehead and patted his back. Tonight was the scariest night of her life and no doubt Sora's too. She could have lost her baby and that thought just ripped at her heart. She couldn't keep him safe. Not by herself.

Feelings of guilt of self-hatred washed over her weary body. Sure she was taken by surprise, but she should have been better prepared for situations like that. She had a security system installed and everything. Perhaps it malfunctioned and she just didn't notice. She was never the one to maintain those things. That was Sai's job. She should have learned how, and tonight she almost paid dearly for not doing so.

She felt her eyes closing as her body finally began giving into her stress and exhaustion. She was out.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: Basement**

Sasuke had just made sure the security system at his house was stable. Not that he needed to, but he was just too paranoid to the point where his tattoo had begun to throb again. He had every right to be suspicious. Ever since he began seeing Sakura, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

It had happened on several occasions and all of them when he was around her. He paused at the balcony area for a minute and stared out into the trees that lined his large back yard. This was one of the spots where he first had those feelings.

Never doubt your instincts. No more mistakes. He'll be damned if his past caught up with him and interfered with his life now. There were only so many ways you could learn your lesson. After he finally felt settled with security, Sasuke headed upstairs.

Sasuke opened the door to Sakura's room and found it empty. Panic didn't have time to set in before he went straight to the kid's room, where he found her there besides Sora's bed asleep. He took a moment to let the relief wash over him before approaching her. He glanced at Suki and saw that she was still asleep before he knelt by Sakura.

Sasuke carefully picked her up, keeping in mind where her bruises were and walked out of the kid's room. He walked past the guest room and made his way towards his bedroom. He had a feeling that she wouldn't want to be alone, regardless of what she might say if and when she woke up.

He carefully placed her on his bed and pulled the covers over her. Sakura began to stir and slowly opened her eyes. She saw Sasuke walk to the other side and slide his robe off before slipping in beside her. He knew she had woken up, but opted not to say anything and just wait and see what she would do.

Sakura blinked twice before speaking.

"I'll be fine," said Sakura. "I was just worried about Sora," she said with weariness in her voice. Sasuke took a good look at her face and saw just how much it took out of her. Her eyes were puffy and her skin tone was shallow. The white gauze that was keeping the cut on the side of her head clean, stood out. She looked so vulnerable.

"Hn," said Sasuke as he lay flat on his back. Sakura shifted beside him.

"I know you're worried about me, but I should just stay near Sora in case he wakes up," she said as she moved to get out of bed; however she found herself being pulled back and into his chest.

"He'll be fine," said Sasuke. "You on the other hand, I'm not so sure of," said Sasuke. Sakura sighed and tried to move out of his grasp, but she was just so weak and tired that it was impossible. "You really think I believe that you're okay?" he demanded, making her stop her fussing. "After what you went through, do you really expect me to think that you're not the least bit shaken by it?" he asked as he forced her to plop back on her back.

"Of course I'm shaken by it!" she said with as much force as she could. "I'm terrified. Can you imagine how scared Sora must have felt? He's prone to nightmares. I don't want him to wake up alone. I don't want to leave him,"

"He's right down the hall. If he needs you you'll be there in seconds," said Sasuke. "If you could just look at yourself then you'll see how much you need to rest," said Sasuke. Sakura winced as the pressure from his grip made her bruises on her arms tingle. Sasuke released her arm immediately when he realized he was holding her too tightly.

"Rest," he ordered. Sakura took in a deep breath and suddenly felt light headed. She practically fell back down beside him in defeat. She didn't have enough strength left. This startled Sasuke, making him lean over her to make sure she didn't pass out on him. Sakura could barely register his face above hers as she tried to fight sleep.

Each blink she took made his face blurrier and blurrier until it seemed to shift into another face; a familiar face. Though she wanted to remain seeing this face, her eyelids fell for the night.

* * *

**Crime lab: Forensics Department**

Kakashi walked with a purpose on his way to the crime lab. As much as he wanted to run to his daughter right now, he had to follow procedure and give it a day. He used his pent up fury and worry to fuel his investigation. Every little detail was not to go unnoticed. He would get to the bottom of this. All members of the agency were well aware of the situation, and steered clear of him.

Kakashi entered the crime lab and swiped his card in the entry pad. The black air-tight titanium doors pulled apart and allowed him access. He made his way to the exam table, where several people in dark shades and white coats were working on several evidence kits.

One of these scientists in particular was working on Sakura's case. He was a quiet young entomologist who joined the forensics lab of the CIA not long ago. A brilliant mind for someone as young as his daughter, with a personality as mysterious and elusive as the insects he worked with.

Shino Aburame was working on the blood samples taken from the dagger and the carpet samples from the house. The small corner he was working in was covered in a neon blue light, with a jar of something moving right next to him.

Kakashi didn't even have to make a sound for Shino to realize he was there. The young scientist looked up from his work and nodded in his direction.

"Commander," said Shino is a deep uninvolved voice. The only part of his face you could really see was the skin around his eyes. Everything else was covered by the coat and shades.

"Tell me you have something," said Kakashi. "Anything at this point will do," he said in a defeated voice, although he wasn't really expecting much. The incident occurred only a matter of hours ago. Still, he was hopeful. Shino went back to his work as he responded.

"You can't really call it something, yet it's not exactly nothing as well," said Shino as he held up the jar with something dark and moving inside it. "Unknown particulates and residue were found," he said.

"Specifics," demanded Kakashi. Now was not the time for word games.

"The leeches were able to extract a fresh sample. With all the factors given, we were able to extract a genetic profile of the attacker," he said as he pressed a button causing a large holographic plasma screen to slide in front of them. There was a picture of a DNA strand with several genetic markers highlighted.

"And it didn't match anyone from the criminal database," said Kakashi, knowing that if it did, they would have their guy by now.

"Not only that," said Shino. "My leeches are breed to separate human genotypes and differentiate between genetic codes. I've engineered them to become trackers. He needs to be within a ten mile radius for them to find him. These samples show an extremely rare genotype among this individual," he said as he starred at the holograph. "Even without a suspect, this person would have physical traits that stand out. Exactly what those traits would be are not in my field of knowledge," he added.

"What are the odds that we find him?" said Kakashi.

"With this genotype, he's one in three hundred billion and once you find the physical characteristics associated, it should help the search," said Shino. "Get a blood sample from him, and it's no doubt that we have him" said Shino. Kakashi nodded. So this bastard may not have left anything obvious, but his unique DNA profile narrowed it down to favorable odds if he was still within the country. The question was, who the hell is he and how do they find him? There was only one person capable of getting to that.

"We need Tsunade," said Kakashi.

* * *

**Sasuke's House:**

Sasuke sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, hands folded with his chin resting on top of them. It was 2:30 in the morning and he hadn't really gotten the best night's sleep. Besides the fact that his girlfriend and her son were ambushed in their home just last night, something else disturbed Sasuke to the point of sleeplessness.

He closed his eyes as he recalled the moment before she fell asleep.

…

_Sasuke hovered over her as she suddenly plopped back down without a fight. Perhaps she had passed out? Her eyes were slightly open and getting smaller with each blink she took. As he leaned over her, he noticed how her eyebrows furrowed and her green irises tried to focus as they concentrated on his face. _

_Her lips parted ever so slightly as she tried to say his name. _

"_S…ai…," she whispered before she closed them for good. She couldn't see how his back stiffened or how his eyes became slightly enlarged before narrowing down again. _

_Him…she was thinking of him; her husband. She must have been. That look in her eye was full of struggle. A low growl escaped his throat before he lowered his face to hers and harshly demanded a kiss from her unconscious form. _

_He would make her see him. Even in her dreams, he would make her see only him, and no one else! She responded to him, and he could only hope that she knew who she was kissing. Her arms feebly tried to go around his neck but fell back down. He pulled away before he could bruise her lips and stared at her face. _

_She sighed heavily and murmured something incoherent. He wasn't going to get any sleep after this. He lay back down and brought her into his arms, where he knew she would be safe. _

Sakura stirred in her bed, making Sasuke snap his eyes in her direction. He watched as she rolled on her side and let her arms fall in the spot he had been laying not too long ago. It appeared that she had missed the warmth he had provided her with throughout the night. She sure was clingy when she wanted to be. Sasuke got up and brought the covers over her more securely. He caught a quick glance at the bandage on her head, which had soaked up a good amount of blood overnight. It would need to be changed soon.

The sudden sound of small hurried footsteps caught his attention before the door swung open. A frantic looking Sora stood in the doorway panting hard. He didn't speak as he saw his mother sleeping with Sasuke right beside her. Sasuke quickly stood up.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Sora took another look at Sakura before sprinting in her direction.

"Mommy!" said Sora as he tried to get up on the high rise bed. Sakura jolted in her sleep and sat up quickly at the sound of his voice.

"Wha…what happened?" she said groggily as she tried to wake up. She quickly rubbed her eyes and opened them in time to see Sasuke raise Sora onto the bed. "Oh sweetie you're awake," she said before he lunged himself at her. Sakura fell back onto the bed with an "oomph".

"Don't leave me!" yelled Sora as he hugged himself closer to her. Sakura gasped and wrapped her arms around him. Sora was near tears.

"Oh…," said Sakura as she cradled him against her. "I'm sorry Sora," she said as she kissed his forehead. "I'm here, we're both here sweetie it's okay," she said while running her fingers through his hair. "Were you scared? Did you have a nightmare?"

Sora nodded his head, but didn't say anything. Sakura looked up at Sasuke with an expression that was half apologetic half accusatory. This was precisely why she didn't want to leave his side. It would take him weeks to get over nightmares.

"I won't leave you again," said Sakura in a soothing voice. "You want to sleep here with me?" she asked as she pulled the covers over the both of them. Sora nodded as Sasuke got up and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Sakura.

"Check in on Suki," he said with a glance back at her. He walked down the hall and peered into Suki's room. His little angel was still sound asleep, oblivious to the dangerous of the world for the time being.

He walked toward her and knelt down beside her bed. As he watched her sleeping form, his earlier feelings about Sakura's worry came into perspective. If anything like that had happened to Suki, wouldn't he be just as worried about her post traumatic state as anything else? Not that he would ever let anyone or anything hurt her. He would kill the bastard before he could even think about doing any harm. Danger feared _him_.

But for someone like Sakura, who didn't see it coming, it would be twice as hard. It's amazing that they made it out okay for the most part; all thanks to Sora. Sasuke couldn't help but think he had something to do with Sora's initiative. Perhaps their training had been more helpful than he thought. All in all, you just don't see children taking down burglars.

Sasuke nearly smirked. A sense of pride washed through his system at the thought Sora taking him down.

Suki stirred in her sleep, but didn't wake. Sasuke tucked the covers over her body and made sure she was snug before running his fingers over her cheek. The day any danger came to Suki was the day that the danger would die at his hand. The same applied to the two people in his room.

There was no turning back for them at this point. He wouldn't let them go…he couldn't.

With one last look at Suki, Sasuke got up and went back to his room to find Sakura lying down with Sora snuggled against her in the middle with the covers over them. She turned her head towards him when he came back in and smiled.

Sasuke glanced at the clock on the dresser; it was 3:00 AM. He hadn't gotten much sleep throughout the night and it was taking its toll on him. If he ever wanted to survive work tomorrow, he would need at least three hours of rest. His feet carried him to the other side of the bed. He got under the covers and laid flat on his back, keeping a small distance between the other two.

He closed his eyes and heard her shift beside him. He opened his eyes when he felt a warm hand on his cheek. He turned to see her adjust back into her side with a smile on her face.

"Why don't you take off work tomorrow?" she whispered as she slid her hand across his cheek. Sasuke brought his hand over hers and held it.

"There's too much to do," he said.

"You'll be exhausted," she said while taking glance at the clock. "You might as well take off," Sasuke inhaled slowly and closed his eyes. He really wanted nothing more than to go to work and clear his head. At the same time, he didn't want to leave Sakura and the kids by themselves and unprotected. Granted he did personally set up his own advanced home security system, but that wasn't the point.

"Hn," said Sasuke.

"Is that a yes?" she asked. Sasuke opened his eyes and gave her a half smirk. He got a smile in response to the smirk and it was settled. He would stay home tomorrow. He looked down at the sleeping boy between them and wondered how bad the next day would be. He's never had to deal with nightmares before. Suki was always a happy sleeper. She's never had nightmares, at least none that he knew about. But that would all come tomorrow.

Sakura's hand went limp and with one more glance at them, Sasuke could tell by their even breathing that they were both asleep. And with that in mind, sleep came easily to him.

**The next morning…**

Sasuke certainly had an interesting morning. Upon waking up he noticed that his right side felt heavier. He turned his head, only to come face to face with a head of pink hair.

Sakura's head was resting against his right shoulder. She was significantly closer that she was last night, and sandwiched awkwardly in between them was Sora, who had somehow managed to become transverse( lying across them). Sora's head and arms were positioned across Sasuke's upper abdomen while his legs stretched over Sakura's hip.

It was sort of comical.

After wondering how the hell that happened, Sasuke carefully shifted out of bed and made sure Sora wouldn't fall off the before getting ready for the morning.

**Mid-afternoon… **

"Aunty Sakura I'm hungry," said Suki. Sakura and the kids had been in the living room watching TV all morning while Sasuke busied himself with work downstairs in his "gym". Curiously enough, he refused to let anyone go down there.

"What about you sweetie?" Sakura asked turning to Sora, who was sitting next to her. "Hungry yet? You haven't eaten much since we came here," she said worriedly. Sora nodded. Why wasn't he talking? He'd hardly said anything apart from his morning hysterics. Sasuke chose this time to finally come upstairs.

"What do you want to eat?" asked Sakura as she looked at Suki. Suki scrunched up her face in concentration for a moment before shouting "Okanomiyaki!"

"I'll go out and get it," Sasuke offered as he went to grab his keys.

"Sora why don't you go with him?" said Sakura. "Make sure he gets the right ones ok?" Sora shook his head. "You don't want to go?" Again Sora shook his head and held her hand. Sakura sighed and turned to Sasuke "I guess I'll just write it down for you," she said when she made a move to get up.

"He'll come. Let's go Sora," he said with a stern voice. Sakura was about to confront him about it, but stopped when she felt Sora get off the couch and walk towards him. That was surprising. She wasn't expecting him to yield like that.

"O...okay," she said looking at him worriedly. "Just don't take too long. I'll make dessert while you're away,"

Sora came back and gave her a hug before walking back to Sasuke. She watched as they both walked out towards the hall and in that instant, she noticed something. Sora wasn't afraid anymore; not with Sasuke near him. Suki walked up to her just then.

"Can we make pudding Aunty Sakura?" she asked. Sakura smiled at her and brought her into a hug and kissed her cheek.

"We can make anything you want," she said. "Pudding will make Sora feel better, right?" she asked. Suki nodded and together, they left for the kitchen.

* * *

**Outdoor mall area...**

They had just bought the food and were on their way back to the car when they passed by a flower shop. Sora took a glance at the flowers, his eyes landing on a bunch of pink roses. He stopped walking and looked down on the ground. They reminded him of his Mommy, and suddenly, he became sad.

Sasuke stopped when he notice that Sora wasn't following him anymore. He looked over his shoulder and saw him staring at the roses. Since they were pink, he must have been thinking about his mother. Sasuke turned back and stood by him.

"I think Sakura and Suki would like some flowers," said Sasuke. "Should we get some for them?" Sora just continued to stare at the flowers. He saw one of the rose heads wilt before falling off the steam on onto the ground. Sora's eyes went wide for a second, before he began to tremble. Images of his Mommy begin hurt came back to him, making him relieve the experience.

"You're scared because that man hurt you?" asked Sasuke. Sora shook his head and sniffled. "Then why?" asked Sasuke.

"Because he… (sniff)…hurt my Mommy," he said as he began to cry. "And I'm not strong enough to…(sniff)… protect her like Grandpa said," he said letting the tears fall freely. Sora kept his head down and covered his eyes with his left arm. He didn't want to cry in front of Sasuke.

"So that's why," he said to himself as he lowered himself to Sora's level. He placed his hand over Sora's head and ruffled his hair. "But you _did_ protect her,"

"But…(sniff)…she still got…hurt," said Sora. "It was scary," as he tried to wipe the tears away with his little sleeve. Sasuke sighed. He couldn't handle tears. Sora was just a boy and he shouldn't have to feel like it was his fault.

"It's okay to be scared, but you still protected her," said Sasuke. "In the end, that's all that matters. She loves you even if you couldn't do that. You protected the one you love, right?" asked Sasuke. Sora looked up with teary eyes before launching himself at Sasuke and letting the tears fall freely. Sasuke was surprised at first, but held onto him anyway. In that instant, he was reminded of how Suki would put on a brave act to make him happy.

Sora was the same; acting brave for Sakura. Sasuke placed his hand on the top of Sora's head and held onto him. He wasn't one for words, but Sasuke wanted to reassure the boy somehow; make him feel safe. After what he went through, it would probably be a long time before Sora would go back to normal.

A plump elderly woman wearing glasses an apron came outside carrying some small potted plants. She spotted Sasuke and Sora and felt her heart melt at Sora's tears.

"Oh what's the matter darling?" asked the woman as she placed the plants on display. Sasuke looked over at her and stood up with Sora in his arms. Sora sniffled and held onto Sasuke as he turned his head to look at the elder lady. "Here," she said as she dug through her pocket. She pulled out a small red lollipop, the kind you get at the doctor's office, and handed it to Sora. "That should make you feel better,"

Sora took the lollipop and quietly thanked her. The woman smiled at him.

"Actually, we'd like to get some flowers for his mother," said Sasuke. The woman looked at Sasuke and smiled.

"Oh that's wonderful," she said. "What kind of flowers would you like?" Sasuke turned to Sora.

"You pick," said Sasuke. "You know what she likes," Sora nodded, but still clung to Sasuke. Somehow, he just felt better being carried. The woman turned to Sora and pointed to all the flowers.

"What's your mother's name honey?" she asked as she smiled fondly at Sora.

"Sakura," he said softly, causing the woman to smile.

"Ah the cherry blossom, such a delicate flower. What color does your mother like sweetheart?" she asked. Sora gave a hint of a smile. The color that always comes to mind with his Mommy was…

"Mommy likes pink," he answered.

"Well I just happen to have some lovely pink roses today," she said as she led them towards the roses. "The pink ones show someone that you care about them," she added.

"I like those," said Sora.

"We'll take a dozen pink roses, and one single pink rose wrapped separately please," said Sasuke. The woman nodded and began to wrap up a lovely bouquet. Sasuke paid her in cash and took the flowers. She then pulled out a small red box and handed it to Sora.

"Here you go sweetheart. Chocolates for being so well behaved," she said. Sora smiled and thanked her. The woman smiled and turned to Sasuke. "Such a good boy you have. You and your wife must be proud. I think she'll love the flowers. She's a lucky woman to have such a caring husband" she said with a smile.

The tiniest hint of a smirk made its way onto Sasuke's face as he glanced at Sora, who was preoccupied with the chocolates. "Thank you," he said. She bid them farewell and gave Sora one final smile as she went back inside the shop. Sasuke began to walk back to the car with a now happier Sora in his arms.

He walked away with an unfamiliar feeling. He felt as though he accomplished something. For once, he had taken the fear away from someone, rather than instill it. He hardly ever had to this with his own child, let alone Sakura's son. It was a new feeling…and it felt good.

They made it back to the car and drove home. Sora decided to sit up front this time. As they drove, Sasuke kept taking glances at him every now and then. This might have been pushing it, even for him, but he now considered himself the father of _two _children. He certainly felt like he had two, and it's not like he was going to push Sakura out of his life anytime soon. Why would he? She belonged to him now, and to hell with not rushing it. Would she really be able to turn away from him? He wouldn't know, and he wouldn't let her anyway. He was too possessive for his own good.

What he did know was something that tugged on his inner father. He looked down at the boy sitting next to him. Images of the times they spent with training, karate matches, and talks about getting stronger came to him.

"_This must be what it's like," _he thought. "_…to have a son,"_

Sora looked up at him with a small grin…that suspiciously could have passed off as a smirk.

* * *

**Sasuke's House:**

Together, Sasuke and Sora began to walk to the front of the house with the food. Before they went inside, Sasuke knelt down so that he was level with Sora. "You're growing up to be a strong man, and your mommy is worried about you. Be brave for her, okay?" asked Sasuke as they approached the front door. Sora held onto the flowers and nodded.

"Okay," he agreed. Sasuke opened the front door and walked inside. Sora immediately went scrambling in and headed straight for the kitchen. Upon entering, Sakura looked up from her work on the counter and smiled at him.

"Hi sweetie. You guys sure did take a while," she said as Suki scurried into the kitchen pouting. She was waiting for her lunch after all, but she gasped when she saw something pink behind Sora.

"What's that?" asked Suki as she pointed at the pink. Sora walked up to them and pulled out the bouquet from behind him and held it up to Sakura, who gasped as well.

"For me?" she asked. Sora handed her the flowers with a smile. "Thank you sweetie," she said as she hugged him. "They're beautiful,"

Sasuke came in and placed the food on the counter and went over to Suki and handed her the single rose, much to her delight.

"Thanks Daddy!" said Suki as she marveled at her little flower. Then she spotted the chocolates that Sora had, and moved in for the kill. Meanwhile, Sakura got up to put the flowers in the vase with Sasuke right behind her.

"Looks like he feels better now," she said as she pulled a crystal vase from the cabinets. While the "men" were gone, she did a little exploring and found many nice kitchen items that were screaming to be used.

"Hn," said Sasuke as he pulled the food out of the bag. "Did you expect him to be crying all day? He may be _your_ son, but he's not a girl," Sakura rolled her eyes, but allowed a small smile to creep onto her lips.

"Thank you," she said. "Whatever you told him seemed to have worked," she said as she smiled at _her_ son across the room.

"Hn," said Sasuke as he looked away. He felt her hand on his arm before she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"I love the roses," she whispered as she slide past him to take the food over to the table and began serving the kids. He followed her and sat at his usual spot on the table, while the area of the kiss still tingled on his cheek.

**Later that day…**

After exiting the crime lab, Kakashi checked his watch. He had waited at least fifteen hours post-attack time, and now he couldn't wait any longer. He had to see them, and his sources indicated exactly where she was. He was determined to get her out.

It was towards the end of lunch when the doorbell rang. Sasuke got up from the table and went to the front of the house. Sakura watched him leave before wiping her hands clean with a napkin and getting up to follow him.

Sasuke checked the security monitor near the keypad in the hallway and saw that it was none other than Kakashi Hatake standing outside his door. Somehow, he wasn't the least bit surprised. He opened the door without hesitation. He was met with a stone faced patriarch, whose steely eyes actually forced Sasuke to pause before resuming his position.

"Is she here?" asked Kakashi just as Sakura appeared behind Sasuke. Kakashi's eyes hardened when they focused on the white gauze strapped to the side of her head, before they melted in heartache.

"Daddy," said Sakura in a surprised voice. "What are you doing here?" she asked and then immediately regretted asking when she focused on his face. He was upset, and clearly he knew about the break in.

"What am I doing here?" asked Kakashi. "You really need to ask?" he said with a frustrated sigh. He pulled her into his arms and held her there. "You really think I wouldn't find out about what happened to you?" he asked. Sakura hugged him back, suddenly happy about his arrival. "Why didn't you call me?" he asked.

"I didn't want you to worry about me and come all the way down here," she said. "I'm fine, but I'm glad you're here anyway. How did you find me?

"I checked in with the Tokyo PD. They told me you were staying here for the time being," he said as he directed his gaze to Sasuke. "Thank you for taking care of her," Sasuke nodded.

"Come in. It's cold out," he said motioning with his head to enter. They moved into the spacious living room and settled on the couch, with Sakura sitting next to her father and Sasuke sitting in the arm chair before them.

"How long do you plan on being in town?" asked Sakura "My house isn't livable at the moment,"

"I'm staying in hotel downtown," said Kakashi. "I'll be here as long as it takes for you to get back into your house with a security system in place. Don't argue with me about that," he said when she was about to speak.

"I already have a security system, but obviously it didn't work," said Sakura. "I'd like to know what went wrong with my old one," she said and noticed right away that it surprised both of them. "What?" she asked.

"What do you mean you have a system?" asked Kakashi. "Sakura, you don't have any security system installed. We checked," he said. Sakura looked confused now.

"No," she said. "I had one installed the week we moved in. I have the receipts and everything. I was planning on calling the company and complaining too," she said. "What do you mean you didn't find one?"

"That's a problem," said Kakashi. "That means someone was skilled enough to completely remove a built in system. Damn," he cursed. Sasuke remain silent the entire time, processing the info.

"It's not as random as we thought," said Sasuke. "Clearly this was planned," he added surprising both Sakura and Kakashi as they turned toward him. He had a look in his eye that was a bit intimidating. His eyes seemed to simmer.

"Yes," said Kakashi. "It's more serious than we thought," he said more to himself.

"Well how much more so?" asked Sakura. "You think they broke into my house for a specific reason?" she asked. Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts.

"Probably trying to find things of value to sell off," said Kakashi. "I'll make sure you and your entire building has a custom system installed. It could have been anyone, but it just had to be you this time," he said while shaking his head. "It's not enough that I'm a cop is it?" he asked with a chuckle. Sakura grinned.

"I do have a tendency to attract trouble don't I?" she asked recalling a few accidents that had happened in her past. "Anyway, do you know how long it will be until I can go home? I want to see if anything was taken,"

"I had the Tokyo restoration team speed up the process. You can go back tomorrow morning," he said. "All the evidence has been removed,"

"Well that's good," she said. "So I guess it's just one more night here then," she said as she glanced at Sasuke.

"Hn," he said as his eyes shifted towards to hallway. Two little pairs of footsteps could be heard running towards them before they rounded the corner.

"Grandpa!" said Sora as he spotted his Grandfather in the living room. He then ran towards him with Suki right behind him. Kakashi got off the couch and waited. To everyone's surprise, both children lunged at him in a hug.

"Hi Mr. Sora's Grandpa!" said Suki with a giggle. Kakashi was more than happy to hug both of them back.

"Hello there," said Kakashi. Sakura smiled at them. Now Sora had one more reason to be happy.

"I'll make some tea," said Sakura. She got off her spot on the couch and went into the kitchen, well aware that Sasuke had gotten up to follow her. The kids should keep her father busy for at least five minutes. Sakura walked over to the cabinets and pulled out a few tea leaves. She was more acquainted with Sasuke's kitchen than her own at this point. Sasuke got out a small pot and filled it with water for her.

"Thanks," said Sakura as she took the water-filled pot from him and placed it over the stove. "So I guess tomorrow things go back to normal," she said. She heard him grunt behind her and she smirked. "Are you going to miss me?" she asked as she turned on the burners. He stood directly behind her and leaned over her shoulder, his warm breathing tickling her ear. "I'll take that as a yes," she said. Sasuke brought his head level with hers.

"You will not be working this week," he said. "As of today you're on medical leave,"

"What? That's ridiculous. I don't need a whole week off," said Sakura.

"You don't have a choice," said Sasuke, placing his hands on her waist. "In the event of a traumatic occurrence, the physician in question is to take at least one mandatory week of medical leave in order to physically and mentally recover and organize their affairs," he said as if he was reading straight from the manual. He probably memorized it. "Any such violation of this rule will place your practice in jeopardy and will call for disciplinary action,"

"Are you talking to _me_ or giving a lesson on hospital policy to interns?" she asked sarcastically. "I have patients who are scheduled to deliver this week. I can't just take off,"

"You don't have a choice," he repeated. "You're not to come within fifty feet of the hospital unless it's a medical emergency to yourself,"

"You're just making that up," she said when she saw him smirk.

"One week off. No negotiations,"

"I don't like your tone," said Sakura. "You have control issues don't you? You can be so pushy sometimes," she said as she turned to face him.

"It's for your own good, and its hospital policy," he said while crossing his arms over his chest. "You would say the same thing to Hinata or the Dobe if they went through what you did," he said. Sakura opened her mouth to argue, but closed it when she knew he was right. She would tell them to take off. But she wouldn't say it like he did.

"I would suggest it, but I wouldn't "force" them," she said. "I don't like being told what to do or how to do it Sasuke," she said while crossing her own arms. "My whole life, people have been telling me what I can or can't do, trying to make it "easy" for me," she said while making quotation marks in the air. "I can take care of myself,"

"You also need to take care of your son," said Sasuke. "Is he not a good enough reason for you to stop being stubborn and remain at home?" he asked. He could tell by the way she stilled that he had probably just offended her. He didn't care. She was just being stubborn.

"Is Suki not a good enough reason for _you_ to remain at home sometimes?" she said. Now Sasuke stilled. The environment was slowly becoming hostile. The teapot began to whistle to a boil, but neither one moved. Cold onyx eyes met furious emerald counterparts without blinking. It wasn't until the teapot began to bubble over that Sakura moved to turn it down. "You don't really see it do you?" she asked. "I mean you get that she's disappointed when you can't play with her or make it to her recitals, but you don't really see just how miserable she can be without you,"

"This isn't about the kids," said Sasuke.

"Then let's make it about them," said Sakura. "I WILL take that week off for Sora's sake. You're right; I should be with him right now. I'll take Suki too since you seem to be so busy with work. But don't think that having _me_ around her will make up for _you_ not being there," she said. "I'll be there for her whenever I can, and I really want to be. I love her like my own daughter, but Sasuke she needs her father there. She won't be five forever you know,"

The sound of Sora and Suki's giggling could be heard from the living room, and that was quite a distance too. Sasuke walked up to her and trapped her at the counter, just like the first time. Without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her, hard. Sakura leaned back in surprise, but he wouldn't have that. He brought his arms behind her and pulled her against him, keeping a firm grip on her. It didn't take her long to drop her resistance and return the kiss. She lifted herself on her toes and wound her arms around his neck.

Something about the way he kissed just made her lose any kind of resolve she may have had. It was almost like a form of manipulation. Either way she couldn't fight it, and he knew that. He took advantage of that every chance he could. He kissed her jaw and then went down her neck. He could feel her flush as her breathing hitched. Then the resistance came back.

"My Dad's in the living room," she whispered.

"So," said Sasuke as he continued to kiss her neck. He could care less that her father was in the living room, so long as she stopped talking. He went back to her lips and tried to kiss with more intensity, but was stopped by her fingers.

"I love when you try to distract me," she said. "But I wouldn't be surprised if my dad brought his gun with him. Let's not keep him waiting," she sighed and stepped away.

"Annoying woman," he mumbled as she took the tea out to the living room.

For the next half hour the three of them talked about work and other things. Kakashi had made it clear that he wasn't going anywhere for a while and after that, Sakura went upstairs to pack their things. Tomorrow they would leave for home again, and for some reason, Sasuke was annoyed. But nevertheless, it had to be done.

* * *

**Next day... **

Kakashi was currently sitting on the couch with Sora, while Sakura was making dinner in the kitchen. Pakkun was curled up on the couch besides Sora while a select few of his dogs lounged around the house. Since Sakura's home couldn't accommodate all ten dogs, the rest of them were currently with Kiba at his kennel.

Kakashi listened as his grandson talked animatedly about his current drawings with a smile on his face. His attitude suggested that nothing even happened to them.

"Grandpa?" asked Sora as he looked up at him.

"Yes?" asked Kakashi.

"When can I get my kunai back?" asked Sora. Kakashi struggled to find an explanation for him to understand. He didn't want to bring up anything that might make him remember the night of the attack, therefore he had to choose his words carefully. He got a report on how reclusive Sora had become the day after it had happened.

"Well, you see my friends at the police station have it," said Kakashi. "And they can't give it back until they're done working on it,"

"What are they going to do to it?" Sora asked worriedly.

"Do you know what I do at work?" Kakashi asked. Sora nodded.

"You're the boss of the police guys," he answered.

"That's right," said Kakashi. "It's my job to make sure that all the police officers work hard to catch bad guys. Do you know how we catch bad guys?" Sora shook his head "We have to follow the clues. Clues help us find them faster,"

"Like a treasure map?" asked Sora innocently. Kakashi chuckled.

"Yeah, sort of," he said. "Anyway, the dagger I gave you is a clue. So the police need to keep it for a while so that they can find a bad guy," he said. He eyed Sora's expression carefully, making note of the subtle changes in his mood. He can tell by the way Sora looked down in his lap that he knew what bad guy he was referring to.

"You were very brave," he continued, hoping to encourage the boy. "You protected your Mommy and helped us get a clue to catch the bad guy. I'm very proud of you," he said as he ruffled his hair. Sora looked up at him and gave him a grin. Getting praise from his Grandfather made him feel special.

Kakashi was very interested in Sora's reactions. From what he knew, Sora was traumatized the night after the event. If anything, he was expected to remain in a reclusive state for much longer than this. But he was so well composed, it hardly seemed like anything had happened. Perhaps he was so traumatized that he was mentally suppressing the event. At least that would be something that Agent Ibiki Morino, his best interrogator, would say. He figured he might as well probe Sora's mind a bit and see what he could get out of it.

He cast a quick glance towards the kitchen, where he saw Sakura was busy over the stove with her back to them. He promised her that he wouldn't talk to Sora about the attack, but this was necessary.

"Weren't you scared?" asked Kakashi. Sora was in the middle of drawing a picture, but Kakashi didn't notice.

"Yeah," said Sora. "It was really scary. But I had to help Mommy,"

"That's right," said Kakashi. "And you did a good job, but weren't you scared afterwards? You didn't cry?" he asked. Sora shook his head and continued to draw.

"Sort of," he admitted. "Then Sasuke told me I was strong and to be brave for Mommy. So I didn't cry," said Sora. "I'm not scared when Sasuke and Suki are here," he said as he smiled into his drawing. Kakashi glanced at it and saw that he was drawing none other than what appeared to be Sasuke in a ninja costume.

"I see," said Kakashi. So Sasuke was more involved in this picture than he ever anticipated. This worried Kakashi. Things were moving too fast for his liking. It's not so much that he disliked Sasuke, but more that he was worried about Sakura choosing him for all the wrong reasons.

Did she really like him? Or was she inadvertently seeing another Sai? Was Sakura's mental health more of a concern than Sora's? Kakashi knew he couldn't trust his own judgment on that. He was too biased in this case, and anything he said would be dismissed as an overprotective father. He needed an outside opinion; someone who knew Sakura when she was with Sai, who can keep a close eye on her while she's with Sasuke. He could only think of two people for the job, but he could only hope their current situations wouldn't prevent them from doing so.

Just then, a beeping noise came from the coffee table. Sakura's pager was going off. All the dogs lifted their heads up in response to the noise, and didn't ease up until Sakura came to pick up the pager. Her eyes widened for a second before she smiled.

"Tenten's in labor!" she said as her smile got wider. "I'm going to be a Godmother!" she squealed and hopped up and down.

"_Damn_," thought Kakashi. The Hyuga's were the two people he was thinking of for the job, since they knew her before and after Sai. That plan just went straight to hell. He would never ask Neji to go on a personal mission now that he was about to become a father. "That's great. Tell them I said congratulations,"

"I will," said Sakura. She looked down at Sora. "Okay sweetie, I have to go help Aunty Tenten have the babies. I won't be back until late, so you'll just have to stay here with Grandpa alright?" she said.

"Okay Mommy," said Sora. "Can I see the babies?" he asked. Sakura smiled.

"Of course you can. I'll take you to see them as soon as possible. I'll go get ready then," she said to Kakashi as she turned to get changed. Kakashi sighed and began to think of other people he might get into the action.

Less than five minutes later, Sakura came down the stairs and talked a she shuffled through her bag.

"Okay, dinner is still simmering away on the stove; it should be done in another ten minutes. There are juice boxes in the fridge, and I bought some popcorn if you want to watch a movie together after dinner. Not too late, I want him showered and in bed by eight; he has school tomorrow and I probably won't be back in the morning" she said as she slung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her keys. "If that's the case then you can just drop him off. Or I can call Ino and ask her to do it if you'd like,"

"I may be a Grandfather, but keep in mind I'm only forty-three," said Kakashi. "It's not like I don't know how to take care of a kid. The one kid I do have turned out to be a doctor, who's going to be late if she doesn't get out of here," he said noting the wondrous look his Grandson was giving him. "What?" he asked.

"Do I get to ride in the front seat Grandpa?" he asked. Ever since Sasuke did it, Sora had wanted to sit up front again since his mother always preferred him in his booster seat in the back.

"Sure," said Kakashi. "Or…we'll talk about it," he said after he got a look from Sakura. She smiled at him and leaned down towards Sora.

"You be good for Grandpa alright?" she asked as she ruffled his hair. "I'll be home as soon as I can," she said as she kissed his cheek. "I love you,"

"Love you too Mommy," said Sora as Kakashi got up to walk her out the door.

"Call me as soon as you get to hospital" said Kakashi. Sakura resisted rolling her eyes as she nodded in agreement. "Want me to walk you to your car?"

"Relax Daddy, I'm fine," said Sakura. "I'll call you as soon as I'm there," she said as she stood on her tip toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek as well. "Bye," she said as she went out the door and closed it behind her. As soon as she was out, Kakashi pulled out his cell phone and dialed Asuma's number.

"She's heading out," he said as he kept an eye on Sora sitting on the couch and drawing again. "Follow her,"

_**From outside…**_

"Will do," said Asuma. He hung up the phone and watched the building from a black car with dark tinted windows parked on the curb. He lit his cigarette and exhaled a small cloud of smoke when he saw "Little Sakura" make her way down the stone steps from her apartment complex and over to her car.

He sighed as he got ready to follow her to work. He wondered if she would even remember her old Uncle Asuma. Sakura was just a little thing the last time he physically saw her. She couldn't have been more than eight or nine years old before he was assigned to yearlong reconnaissance missions for the agency.

He felt guilty following her like this. The girl had less privacy than she knew of, and that was all because of her father. Kakashi was always the best of the best in his ANBU years; a fierce and skilled fighter who thought of nothing but the mission. He didn't always have the best relationships with people, aside from Rin. But all that changed the minute Sakura was born.

Asuma saw how losing Rin and gaining a daughter brought out more of Kakashi's humanity. He began to treasure the people in his life, starting with Sakura. She was his life, and he went to great lengths to keep her happy and safe, and for good reason.

There were many enemies out there who would jump at the chance to terminate any CIA member, especially high standing figures such as Kakashi. To anyone else, it might seem over protective, but it's all standard procedure. Sakura wasn't the only agency child being monitored. She just happened to be the Commanders daughter, a princess of sorts, and top priority.

But still, it felt so wrong to stalk her. Asuma watched as she pulled out the driveway and drove off. He made sure that her car was on his GPS navigator, before starting his car and following.

* * *

**Konoha Medical Center:**

Sakura walked into the labor and delivery section of the hospital and was surprised at what was waiting for her.

"Doctor Haruno," said Hinata with a surprised face. "What brings you here?" she asked. She looked nervous all of the sudden and actually checked behind her shoulder as if someone was watching her. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Tenten's in Labor. Didn't you page me?" she asked. Hinata was still looking at her with curious eyes.

"I know she's going to deliver tonight, but I was told not to page you," Hinata answered. "We've requested another doctor for the delivery,"

"What?" she shouted. "That's ridiculous. Who told you not to page me?" she asked. Before Hinata could respond, Naruto's voice interrupted.

"Yo Sakura," said Naruto. "What're you doing here?" he asked. "If Sasuke see's you here he's going to kill someone," he said in a nervous tone. "Who called you?"

"Sasuke's here?" she asked before shaking her head "Whatever, the point is, I'm Tenten's OB and she's in labor, so I'm here. And was Sasuke the one who gave the order not to page me?" she asked. Judging by the way Naruto and Hinata glanced at each other, she was assuming it was true. She sighed.

"He just wanted to make sure nothing interrupted your recovery time," said Naruto.

"I'm fine," she stated as she tried to pass them, however Naruto moved to block her path. Sakura tried to side step him again, but this time Hinata moved to block her. "Oh come on! What, did he threaten you to stop me from coming?"

"Yeah pretty much," said Naruto hesitantly. "It's not just us, the whole department was notified about not paging you, so I have no idea how you found out," he said.

Fury pulsed through her veins. This was a whole new level of controlling. How dare he try to prevent her doing her job.

"I have three babies to deliver," she said slowly. "I don't have the time to be angry with him right now, but feel free to tell him I'll give him a rain check," she said as she shoved past Naruto as walked towards L&D.

Naruto sighed. "He's going to kill me," he said as Hinata patted his arm. "Who told her though?" he asked.

"I can only think of one person," said Hinata while shaking her head. "Never deny a woman in labor,"

* * *

**Labor and Delivery room**:

Sakura knocked on the door to Tenten's room. When she heard Neji say come in, she entered to his surprise.

"Sakura?" said Neji as he got up from Tenten's side. "What ar-"

"What am I doing here?" she asked for him as she strolled over towards the bed. "That seems to be the question of the night considering the answer is oh so obvious," she said sarcastically.

"I knew you'd come," said Tenten with a sly smile. Her hair was tied back in a low ponytail and her skin looked flushed and moist, but she was glowing. "Glad you got my page," she said. Sakura smiled at her friend.

"So you're the one who paged me," said Sakura. "No wonder everyone was shocked that I came. Thanks Tennie," she said while patting Tenten's shoulder. Unlike everyone else, Tenten knew that Sakura wouldn't and shouldn't miss out on this.

"Tenten," said Neji as he shook his head. Tenten just shrugged her shoulders and smiled at Sakura.

"She would have killed me if I didn't call her," said Tenten. "There are _some_ lies that are just _not _okay to tell," she said pointedly at him. Sakura didn't understand that last sentence, but she _did _notice that it made Neji drop the subject. She shook it off as she scanned the room for Tenten's chart.

"How're you feeling? Did you're water break yet?" asked Sakura as she checked her vitals on the monitors. Tenten shook her head.

"Not yet," said Tenten. "But the contractions started a few hours ago and they're getting pretty bad," she said. Sakura took a look at the little machine recording the contraction waves.

"Sasuke will find out about this," said Neji. "He was very particular about you getting your rest, and I agree with him,"

"Yeah yeah," said Sakura in a bored tone as she scanned the graphs. "Where's your chart?"

"With the new physician who came to do the delivery," said Neji. Before Sakura could protest about it, the door opened revealing a stern looking Sasuke standing in the way.

"Doctor Haruno," he said in his annoying authoritative tone. "I'd like to speak with you outside," He looked like he was trying hard not to yell. Sakura squared her shoulders and nodded.

"So would I," she said as she walked out with him. As soon as he closed the door, he rounded on her.

"Who paged you?" he demanded.

"Our very own mommy-to-be," she said. "Tenten paged me. And why shouldn't she? Why can't I be here?" she asked feeling the frustration growing inside her.

"You don't have the clearance to be performing major surgery," said Sasuke. "It's a liability to the patient and the hospital, plus you still need time to recover,"

"I want people to stop telling me that," she spat. "I wasn't run over by a truck. I'm not disabled," she said. "And don't even give me that liability crap. You just don't want me to work. You're not my father for crying out loud,"

"I'm not negotiating this," said Sasuke as he ran his hand down his face in an effort to calm himself. "Other arrangements have been made and you're not needed here,"

"Are you implying that I'm incapable of doing my job?" she asked. "I'm perfectly suited to deliver these babies. I'm their attending physician. I've been monitoring their week by week progress, their stats, and I'm coordinating the cesarean section, you can't just shift all that to someone else," she said with a huff.

"You are on doctors' orders to remain on medical leave until otherwise stated," said Sasuke. "And yes, I'm implying that you can't do it!" he said as he straightened his posture towering over her.

"What doctor? Neji is not my doctor," she said thinking that perhaps Neji had requested her off the case.

"I've got this case handed over to another doctor, who also agrees that you are not in right state of being for this procedure" said Sasuke. Before she could argue, a familiar voice boomed through the hallway.

"Doctors are truly the worst patients," said the voice. Sakura gasped and looked to her left and saw a tall busty woman with blond pigtails and fierce red nails wearing a lab coat.

"Tsunade Sama?" said Sakura. "What are you doing here?" she asked as Tsunade approached them.

"Keeping you in check, and I'm also taking over the Hyuga delivery," she said as she pulled out Tenten's file. "Don't argue with me you know you'll just lose," she said when she noticed Sakura begin to talk.

"This isn't your average patient, its Tenten," said Sakura. "I can't miss this, you know I can't" she pleaded. Tsunade glanced at her former apprentice and sighed.

"I never said you couldn't participate," said Tsunade. "You're just not going to be the Attending. I'll be performing the Cesarean and you can assist me in the delivery, just like you used to do," she said as she skimmed the chart. "You _are _more familiar with this particular pregnancy so that's a plus. Although I'd much rather you go home and rest. But I can see you won't have that," she said before mumbling something about stubborn children.

Sakura sighed, but settled. It was better than not being in there at all, which would have been exactly what Sasuke wanted. She was very upset that he would work so hard to keep her out of it; calling Tsunade of all things.

Speaking of Sasuke, he was still standing there looking like he didn't even like the idea of her being in the delivery room at all. What the hell was his problem? This was beyond protective, this was just condescending.

"Well let's not just stand here," Tsunade announced, snapping her out of her rage. "We have a woman in labor that needs an ultrasound and biophysical profile stat!" she shouted as she walked in between Sasuke and Sakura towards delivery. Sakura watched Sasuke with hard eyes and gave him a look that was just downright icy, before walking to delivery. Sasuke said nothing, and just watched her go.

"Quit your simmering," Tsunade ordered as she and Sakura walked side by side to Tenten's room. "I wouldn't want you here with that attitude either,"

"He's so...stupid," said Sakura. "I'm fine! Do I have to tattoo that on my forehead? There's plenty of room up there. Maybe people will believe me then," she huffed. Tsunade sighed.

"He's just worried about his girlfriend. What's wrong with that?" she asked. "Oh don't look at me like that. You wouldn't be able to fit anything else of your forehead when you've got "_I'm dating Sasuke Uchiha_" written all over there. You're not as subtle as you think. You're a terrible liar Sakura," Sakura blushed but huffed none the less.

"Dating or not, he shouldn't order me around like that," said Sakura.

"In case you haven't noticed, ordering people around is his job title. That includes you, only he has more incentive to keep you safe. I imagine he's getting it good with you," she said. Sakura nearly fell over.

"Tsunade Sama!" she said. "It's not... like that,"

"But it's come close several times. I can tell," Tsunade said smirking "I'm guessing you're the one that does the backing out at the last minute. Any reason for that?" she asked. Sakura couldn't look her in the eye. "Any blind moron could tell he's worried about you; we all are, especially your father. You really should appreciate the people that try to protect you,"

"But that's just it," said Sakura. "I'm so over protected! I'm sick of it. People just need to let me be. I'm not a weakling. I have my own life and I want to live it the way I want. It's like no one trusts me to survive on my own. Frankly it's insulting" she huffed.

"You're just being stubborn...as usual," said Tsunade. "Anyway, suck it up. We have triplets to deliver and I don't like to waste time," she said. The two of them switched to doctor mode and prepared for the delivery.

* * *

**Outside the hospital entrance...**

A lanky looking woman wearing a dark red suit with long red hair and black rimmed glasses stepped out of her vehicle. Her pointed high heels made sharp tapping noises as she slowly walked up to the hospital building and looked all the way up to the top tower. A sinister smile made its way onto her flaming red lips as she closed her eyes and inhaled. She knew he was here. She could feel him. She starred directly at the top office level and sighed.

"I've found you at last...my Sasuke," she said as she walked towards the entrance. "No one can run from Karin and get away with it...," she said.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**Special shout out to darkpetaltalki, x-LlOVe, nanamisakurachan, and for questioning my updates lol. **

**Ok so here's chapter 22. I know it's late and you may have forgotten my story, but whatevs. Let me know what you guys think. I know I have a few beatings to take so lay it on me. I feel like this chapter drags, but hopefully I can spice up the rest. It's all ROMANCE from the next chapter and beyond. And some drama CIA stuff lol. **

**()()**

**( . . )**


	22. All That I Want

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 22: All that I Want**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Sasuke's Office: **

It had been about an hour since Sakura left to go into surgery. Sasuke was up in his office getting some more work put in before he left.

He clicked his programs to a close on his computer screen when suddenly, the door to his office opened. When he glanced at his intruder, his back stiffened. He slowly stood and glared when the red headed female smiled and closed the door behind him.

"Hello Sasuke," said Karin as she eyed him up and down. She hadn't seen him since he was nineteen and seven years have been good to him. She loved what she saw.

Sasuke's body was on full attack mode. Karin was the last person he expected to see.

"Looks like they didn't do their job…if you're still alive," said Sasuke with a voice so composed it was frightening. Karin pretended to be hurt as she slowly walked to him.

"You don't mean that Sasuke. I know you missed me," she said. "I know I missed you," she said as she approached his desk. She placed her hands on his desk and leaned forward, making sure her cleavage was visible. "Tell me you haven't thought about me once after all these years,"

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. He had to keep in control. If he ever released _that _power again, it would be trouble.

"I came to see you of course. Why else would I be here?" she asked. "It's not the same without you. Ever since you disappeared, I've been bored. I've come to take you back," she said.

Take him back? Sasuke's eyes narrowed even more if that was possible. Take him back where? He destroyed the Sound organization years ago. What the hell was she talking about?

"Get out," said Sasuke. "If I ever see you again, I won't hesitate to kill you Karin," he said. Karin leaned back and placed her hands on her hips.

"You're just surprised to see me is all," said Karin. "You can't really be happy sitting in an office all day. You're too skilled for that. I know your real potential, so did lord Orochimaru" she said. "He knew you-"

"Shut up!" he shouted. He was furious now. He was so ready to kill the woman. The only problem was that he swore never to kill again.

"Now now Sasuke," she said clicking her tongue. "You always had a problem with your temper. Stubborn as usual," she said as she walked around his desk while sliding her fingers across the surface. Sasuke rigidly watched her get closer, all the while thinking how he'd like to throw her out the glass wall.

"Why would you be an ordinary citizen when you have the power and skills that no one can even dream to possess? What's holding you ba-"

Suddenly, she froze in her place a few feet away from him and her smile disappeared. Her eyes zeroed in on the picture frames that lined his desk. Sasuke mentally cursed. He saw the emotions play out on her face: anger, confusion, spitefulness, and most of all, jealousy.

She sucked in a deep breath and turned her gaze from the picture frames and briefly to his left hand, which he kept clenched at his side, before looking back up at him.

"So that's why, "she hissed "You have children," she spat as if he had obtained a deadly disease.

The picture she had seen was the picture taken from Suki's birthday party in October; the one with Sakura hugging Suki next to her birthday cake. Their identical emerald green eyes happily stared back at the seething Karin, who was now scanning over the rest of the pictures. She saw the one with Sora at his Karate match right next to the first picture. She was crumbling.

"You have no ring," she said. "You didn't get married. Those aren't your brats!" she shouted before she was thrust back against the glass walls. Sasuke had pinned her by her neck with fury radiating from his eyes. His body remained perfectly still as Karin brought her hands to her neck.

"If I ever sense your presence near me or my family again I'll kill you," he said looking straight into her eyes. Karin starred back and shrank in fear when she saw something that she hadn't seen in eight years.

His irises filled with a deep crimson color, almost like blood. His pupil split into three tomoes and stared at the woman cringing before him.

Uchiha Sasuke had unleashed his Sharingan.

From her vantage point, she could catch a glimpse of the curse mark. He was still just as powerful, just as deadly as ever. Nothing had changed.

"Who do you work for?" he demanded. "And are you involved in any Sound activity?" he asked. Karin struggled to form words and Sasuke barley loosened his grip on her.

"N-no," she croaked. "I'm work for the Ch-Chinese bio research team," she said. Sasuke let her go before she passed out. Karin gulped in large breaths of air and massaged her neck. She glanced back at the picture frames that lined his desk. She had to maintain her fury if she was going to get out alive. That woman with the pink hair; she was the only woman in the pictures on his desk. Karin wanted to burn them all.

"Then what the hell did you come here for," said Sasuke. Karin got her breathing under control and straightened out her posture. She saw that his Sharingan was still activated, and she kept her eyes wandering.

"I came to inform you of a gathering sponsored by the Chinese biological engineering counsel" she said as she focused on the pictures. "All major trauma hospitals are invited to engage in the event and I'm one of the representatives," she said. "I just wanted to personally inform you. It's been years after all"

Sasuke noticed the way she kept glancing at his desk and his left hand. He wasn't sure whether or not she had left _that business_ behind her. For all he knew, she was dead until now. He would need to investigate this on his own. But for now, he would have to release her. There were probably several people who saw her come in, and they would have to see her leave as well.

But this woman was dangerous. He knew what she was capable of. Other than that, she was just an annoyance. He needed to take every precaution he could.

"I've left that dirty work behind me," said Karin. "There hasn't been anything left to go back to in years,"

"Then exactly where were you planning on taking me?" he demanded. "What the hell are you up to? If you're still here then what are the odds that Suigetsu or Jugo aren't dead?"

"After that incident it was hard to keep track of what had happened," said Karin. "Although I refuse to believe that you wanted us dead, I managed to escape the chaos," she said. "With my skills and my former connections, I landed a job for the Chinese government working in their biological development section,"

"Send a formal invite with all accreditation. Don't think for a second that I'll trust anything that comes out of your mouth. If you've really left that work behind, I'll consider letting you live. Cross me, and you're as good as dead. Now get out of my office," he ordered.

Karin took a chance and looked at his face. The red eyes were now gone. She put on her best face and even cracked a smile.

"Will do," she said as she turned. "I'll be seeing you again, Sasuke," she said as she walked towards to door and closed it behind her. Sasuke watched her leave, his back still as straight as an iron rod. As soon as the door was shut, he launched himself onto his computer and uploaded the security mainframe. He pushed a button located under his desk and immediately, the two glass walls that made up half his office began to tint black until nothing could be seen.

He uploaded more files and pushed the top frame of the picture of Suki at the beach. It was really a hidden button. A large holographic screen phased before him with a subdued female voice greeting him.

"Password," it said.

"Chidori" said Sasuke as he sat back in his chair.

"Voice identification activated" said the voice.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he said. The screen displayed the sound wave frequency as he spoke and matched it to a previous recording.

"Identity confirmed. Welcome back," it said. The screen produced a black backdrop while the sleek, black surface of his desk suddenly highlighted red into a large version of a computer keypad. He leaned forward in his hair and dragged the keys across his desk opening up various files.

He pressed a series of code keys that popped up a large black file on the holoscreen. There was no file name, only a picture of a snake.

Clearly, this was no ordinary office, and he was no ordinary man. Nothing had ever changed. He was still Sasuke Uchiha…the deadliest ex-assassin of the former Sound organization. The only unknown Sound Agent to ever fly under the CIA radar.

* * *

**Delivery room:**

Tenten's epidural had gone successfully; the woman feared no pointy object whatsoever. The ultrasound confirmed that the babies were all doing fine and the sooner they get them out the better. Neji remained calm and composed as he waited patiently for Tenten to get prepped for the C-section. Sakura remained outside with him.

"This is so exciting," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "You're going to be a Daddy today. You must be scared shitless," she said causing Neji to raise an eyebrow at her choice of words.

"Are you sure you don't want to go home?" asked Neji. The sparkle in her eyes vanished.

"Don't make me hurt you," said Sakura. "Why is everyone trying to kill my thunder?" she asked. Neji sighed and leaned against the wall.

"No one's trying to hold you back. We're just concerned for your health. You've been working too hard for the past eight years. We just want you to take a break and be a normal twenty-five year old for once," he said.

"Have I ever been normal?" asked Sakura. "What is normal to you anyway?"

"Go shopping with the girls once in a while, or go see a movie. Go dancing if you want to or just hang around town doing what you want," said Neji. Sakura starred at him incredulously.

"Are you giving me permission to be reckless, big brother?" she asked sarcastically. Neji rolled his eyes. He ruffled her hair like a child's.

"Not reckless, just have fun," he said. Sakura mock punched his gut. The doors to the prep room opened and Tenten was wheeled out with Hinata and Tsunade at her side.

"It's show time," said Tenten. They wheeled Tenten into the OR while Sakura and Neji went to scrub in.

After getting all the materials and proper surgical tools ready, it was finally time. Tenten lay on the OR table with Neji at her side. Tsunade began to procedure with Sakura nearby to "assist". After about ten minutes of careful cutting, Tsunade finally broke through the uterine wall.

"Get ready, here comes the first one," said Tsunade. She pulled the first baby out and the sounds of crying filled the room. "It's a boy," she announced, handing the baby to Sakura.

"It's a boy Tennie," said Sakura as she brought the viscera-covered baby over to their side. Neji held Tenten's hand as they saw their first baby.

"His name is Hizashi," said Tenten. The nurse nodded and filled it out in the papers as Sakura gave her godson to the nurse station.

"Second one's coming," said Tsunade. "And it's another boy," she said as she pulled him out. This one cried even louder than his brother as he was handed off to his godmother.

"Another boy," said Sakura as she brought him over to his parents.

"Kenji," said Tenten as she smiled at him. Sakura smiled at him and handed him over to his nurse. She got a fresh sterile cloth and went back for the last one.

"Last but not least," said Tsunade as she dug deep within the uterus. "Baby number three...is a girl," she said as she brought the crying baby out. She was a tiny thing and Sakura carefully wrapped her up and brought her over to Neji and Tenten.

"A girl! A pretty little girl," said Sakura. "What's her name?" she asked.

"Ayame," said Neji as he beamed at his little girl. Tenten smiled at her daughter as she was placed near her head.

"She's so perfect," said Tenten. "Thank God they have you're genes" she said to Neji breathlessly.

"Congratulations you guys," said Sakura as she gave the baby to her nurse. "Now let's get you closed up," she said. Tsunade and Sakura spent the next half hour making sure that Tenten was properly closed up before moving her out of the OR and into recovery.

"Stay with the babies," said Tenten as she spoke to Neji. "Make sure we don't lose anyone of them. Go all the way into the NICU with them Neji, just don't leave them," she pleaded.

"Okay," said Neji. "I'll walk with them there but then I'm coming right back," he said. He gave her a quick kiss and let her be taken up by the nurses. Sakura met him outside the OR.

"Is it normal for her to be so panicked?" asked Neji. He had never seen Tenten act so nervous before.

"It's just the realization that she's not carrying them anymore," she said as they walked to the NICU. "She just wants some reassurance that someone is protecting them,"

"Yeah," said Neji. There was an aura of calm and happiness that was surrounding him. He was a father now. "I can't believe they're here," he said. Sakura smiled. They entered the elevators and went up to the 8th floor neonatal unit.

"You did good Neji, you really did. I'll bet that was one memorable night of conception," she said. Neji hinted at a blush and ruffled her hair again. Just then, they saw a man wearing the most green clothing imaginable with flowers in his hand.

"Neji! Oh Neji tell me I haven't missed the moment!" said Rock Lee as he halted before them. "Did our beautiful Tenten deliver my Godchildren yet?" he asked. He put the flowers away from his face, and that's when he spotted Sakura. His eyes increased in their sparkle and his cheeks tinted like a burning sun.

"Hello," said Sakura. She gasped in surprise as Lee took her hand and sandwiched it in his palms.

"Oh what wondrous luck that I would see you here Miss Sakura!" he said. "You have truly become even more beautiful since the last time we have met!" he said. Sakura smiled nervously.

"Oh...haha...thank you," she said. "I didn't know you knew Neji,"

"We went to college together. Lee was a part of research group with me and Tenten," said Neji. "She's already had the babies Lee. You can see them tomorrow," he said. Lee looked absolutely joyous.

"Oh the burning power of youth shines within these walls! To think that today, I Rock Lee have become a Godfather!" he said. "This is truly a wondrous moment," he said, still holding onto Sakura's hand.

"Well, they're my Godchildren too," said Sakura. "I've been named Godmother," she said. Lee's eyes practically bugged out of his head.

"What joy!" said Lee as he nearly jumped out of his spot. Several nurses and other workers turned their heads towards the commotion "You are the Godmother to my Godchildren! Does this day not get any more youthful? That's like you being my God-wife!" said Lee. "I have a family! I shall protect you all with my life" he said while squeezing Sakura's hand. She looked at Neji with panic in her eyes and began to wonder whether or not Lee was high.

"Tenten's in recovery, you should go see her," said Neji. Lee nodded with a determined face.

"I shall! And I shall definitely be back tomorrow for the children. Until then," he said. He released Sakura's hand and marched up to the elevators.

"Wow," said Sakura. "Everyone knows everyone in this city. I never would have thought you and Tenten would be able to work with Lee. He's a Karate instructor, how do you guys know each other?"

"We all met in college. You wouldn't know since you were off in med school," he said. Sakura shrugged.

"Well today just keeps getting better. I have a God-husband…and he's greener than envy," she said. "I wonder what Sasuke would say to that," she said smugly. Neji sighed and the two of them walked to the NICU.

**Later that night…**

After doing an initial check up on the three cutest babies in the hospital, Sakura went back to her office to get her things and go home. Tsunade had practically kicked her out of the NICU demanding that she get some rest.

Sakura grabbed her coat and purse and locked her office. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she had been feeling weary for the past hour. It was an emotional delivery after all. She suppressed a yawn as she made her way towards the elevators. When she got there, her finger automatically went to push the UP button before she paused and stitched to the DOWN button.

She mentally sighed. She had gotten too used to seeing Sasuke after work so naturally she would try to go up to his office.

"_Not today pal" _she thought as she waited for the elevator. The button flashed and the doors opened. Sakura looked up and saw that the elevator was occupied by only one person: A woman, and an unusual looking woman to boot.

The minute Sakura looked at the red hair, red suited, red lipped woman she felt a shiver go down her spine. Perhaps it was the way the woman's eyes widened at the sight of her, or how her posture almost turned crouch like.

Sakura pushed the button to the first floor and looked at the doors before her, ignoring the woman next to her. She was probably curious about her hair color. Most people were.

But the strangest thing was that Sakura knew she was being glared at. She couldn't quite explain it, but she felt something close to a dark aura emitting from her. Who the hell was this creeper?

Sakura turned her head slightly and took a look at her. She caught her stare but the other woman didn't stop. Her eyes roamed over Sakura's form before coming back up to her face. She was analyzing her as if she had offended her. Sakura gave her half a grin and turned before she could see the woman's scowl. She could have sworn she heard some sort of clicking noise as well.

Finally, the doors opened on the first floor, and Sakura bolted from the elevator. That was just unpleasant. By the looks of her suit, she must have been from the corporate office or something.

* * *

**Karin's POV:**

The minute she saw that woman, her insides flared. Pink hair and green eyes, she knew it had to be her. Karin watched as she stepped into the elevator and pushed the first floor button. Again, she noticed that there was no wedding ring.

That didn't make any sense! Those children from the pictures, they were definitely Sasuke's. Biologically speaking, they had all of his traits: Dark hair, pale skin and even sharp noses. They looked close in age, possibly even twins. This woman was the only one in the pictures.

She saw the pink haired bitch glance in her direction. Those big green eyes were an exact match to that child in the picture. None of it made sense. Was this woman, the mother of those brats? She had to be sure. Once she looked away, Karin pushed her glasses up her face and in doing so, pushed a small button located in the center. Both lenses turned into a digital camera screen. She took a profile shot of the woman and captured it in her photo memory.

The elevators came to a halt on the first floor, and the woman left immediately. Karin exited slowly, all the while watching her leave.

She would get to the bottom of this. It was her job after all.

She exited the building and walked out to the drive way. A black car screeched to a halt before her and the passenger side door opened. Karin stepped inside and closed the door and turned to her driver.

"Humph, I guess I was stupid to think that he might have come to get me himself. Now I'm stuck with you," she said to her white haired companion (**it's mystery dude 2**)

"As if he would step out his hell hole for a second," he said. "What did you find out about Uchiha?" he asked. Karin huffed and removed her glasses. She hooked up a wire to the lenses and hooked it into the GPS navigation system. The screen uploaded the information taken, and a picture of Sakura appeared on the screen.

"She's the problem," said Karin. The man next to her gazed at the picture with an unreadable expression. His hand unconsciously went to his thigh, where the remnants of his stab wound were still healing. "I don't care who she is, she's got to go," said Karin.

"You will not touch her," said the man suddenly. "There's more to her that Kabuto's letting you know. Better let him explain before you do something stupid," he said as he hit the gas and accelerated of into the night.

* * *

**Next day: **

When Sakura opened the door to her office, she wasn't prepared to find a find a black satin box sitting on top of her desk. Sakura hung her coat up behind her door and put her purse on the arm chair. She sat in her chair and carefully held the box up in her hands.

"Trying to buy me off?" she muttered as she opened the box. She gasped. Inside the box was a delicate silver chain with a beautiful circle pendant that was lined with small white diamonds. It was exquisite. Sakura carefully picked up the chain with her finger and held it before her. She traced the circle with her fingers before putting it back in the box.

This had to end. Her pager went off suddenly. She checked to see that it was the NICU and left the box on her desk. She would deal with him as soon as she had the time.

**A few hours later…**

It was almost 1:00 PM, and Sakura decided to use her lunch hour to go and see her control freak of a man. She took the elevator to the top floor and was surprised to see that his secretary was nowhere to be seen. Usually she would give Sakura a sly smile every time she came up to visit.

She opened his office doors and stepped in without knocking. He was sitting there at his desk, working on something on his computer and not bothering to look up.

Sakura walked right up to him put the box on his desk.

"It's a beautiful necklace," she said.

"Any reason why you're not wearing it?" he asked without even looking at her. Sakura made a face and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm not wearing it because I don't think it's appropriate," she said. "You can't give me gifts whenever I'm upset with you,"

"You're upset with me?" he asked without looking at her. "Really,"

"You know why," she said. "I know you were only trying to help, but I think I should let you know that I have issues with other people trying to control me. It goes way back into my childhood-daughter of a cop blah blah blah," she said as she leaned against his desk.

"Hn," said Sasuke, although he could only imagine how controlling her father might have been. He heard her sigh.

"Anyway, I appreciate the necklace but I would rather have you give it to me when you're not trying to appease me," she said as she slid the box closer to him. He stopped typing whatever it was that he was typing and stared at the box. Sakura leaned away from the desk and walked towards the door. Clearly he was busy and she had patients to attend to.

She reached the door handle and barely pulled it open before his hand came from behind her and closed it shut. Sakura gasped in surprise and backed into his body; she didn't even hear him get out of the chair. His left hand remained on the door as her right hand held her mid-section and pulled her back against him.

"Who say's I'm trying to appease you," he said with his mouth near her ear. Sakura turned, which was a bad decision because now he placed his other hand on the door as well, trapping her. Damn the dominance thing!

"Maybe I just felt like giving it to you," he continued with a composed face, which made her raise an eyebrow. "Maybe I felt like you need to wear that,"

"You _felt like it_?" said Sakura. She would have crossed her arms, but there probably wasn't any room for that due to his ever closing proximity. "You don't strike me as the spur of the moment type; predator yes, but spontaneous? Not so much," she said. Sasuke's towering form actually made her arch her neck back to look into his eyes. She felt his hand slid up her shoulder and rest against her neck, where he could feel her pulse picking up speed.

Sakura couldn't distinguish the look he was giving her. His eyes looked they held something close to regret.

"You don't _know_ me," he whispered before claiming her lips. He pushed her back against the door and pressed his body as close to her as possible. Sakura didn't even have room to use her hands defensively, which was fine because she wouldn't have backed out.

It was like her resentment suddenly disappeared the moment his lips made contact. Longing filled her heart and allowed her to maneuver her hands up his chest and around his neck. She then made a sudden realization and she couldn't believe it. She _missed_ him. She actually missed the sexy beast. She missed everything about his presence, even that stupid smirk of his. Suddenly she was more enthusiastic.

Their lips parted ever so slightly, just to allow air before welding together again. She moaned as his hands slowly traveled along her backside while hers worked their way up to his hair. She moaned again when his kisses moved down her neck. Her head hit the door as her neck arched in reflex. She felt him chuckle before he pulled her away from the door and over to the couch.

"You don't really know me either," she said breathlessly as she fell back against the couch. He quickly hovered over her and smashed lips with her again. Her lips parted on instinct and he took advantage by diving in with his tongue. She accepted with great eagerness and fought for control, but she didn't stand a chance.

"Maybe not," he said gruffly. "But you're really predictable," he said before kissing her again. Sakura let her hands maneuver down his back, feeling the muscles that lay underneath.

"How so?" she asked. He kissed from her jaw to her chin before looking at her.

"I gave you that necklace, knowing you'd come here to reject it, and letting me have you for a while," he said noticing her eyes widen a bit.

"You lured me here," she said with slight accusation.

"You were avoiding me," he replied. "I didn't like that,"

"It's been a day," she said. "That's not long enough to be considered avoiding," she said matter-of-factly. Sasuke leaned forward with serious intensity in his eyes. Injury

"That's too long," he said before crushing their lips together again. She actually managed to chuckle and wound her fingers into his hair. He was just so unreasonable that it was actually a bit charming. All the things he'd done for her came into her mind. There was more to him than he let on, and that really made her feel like she didn't know him at all.

"Did you actually miss me?" she asked teasingly. Sasuke paused for a second and moved to look at her. His gaze made her feel some strange emotion that was something between curiosity and embarrassment over his scrutiny. He seemed to be contemplating something serious.

"Saturday," said Sasuke. "Clear your schedule,"

"I don't have work on Saturday anyway," said Sakura. "Why?"

"Clear everything else you were going to do," said Sasuke. "You'll be with me,"

"Like a date?" she asked. "Are you trying to ask me out again? Because I don't think you understand the concept of ask-" he rolled his eyes before kissing her again. Sakura was lost as the kiss cut off her train of thought. It was ridiculous how that could happen to her. He kissed her until the need for oxygen appeared.

"I want you. Just you," he stressed "No kids, no Dobe, no work. Just you," he repeated. The intensity of his words left her breathless. He was serious. He really wanted the alone time on this date. Come to think of it, they never really had a proper date. Their first one was cut short and since then, it's always been play dates with the kids. It was never just the two of them. How could she let that slip past her?

She touched the side of his face and gave him a small smile. Neji's words of being a normal twenty-five year old came back to her. He was right; they were both still young and she needed to just be herself.

"A real date?" she asked as her smile grew wider. "I could do that," she said. She received a smirk that dazzled her into an accelerated heart rate "But what about the kids? What do we tell them?" she asked. Sasuke inhaled and breathed out slowly.

"Nothing they don't need to know," said Sasuke. "They're kids. Just say you need to go out and leave them with Nara kids," he said. Thinking about Ino made Sakura internally groan. Ino would sense what they were up to in a heartbeat. She could practically see the blond woman's devious face plotting her evening with Sasuke.

"Does it have to be with Ino and Shikamaru?" asked Sakura while playing with his tie. She didn't look him in the eye as she traced the silk tie with her fingers. "Can't Itachi babysit? I'm sure he'll be great with the kids," she said. Sasuke gave a light chuckle and tilted his head to the side and began placing light kisses on her neck.

"Why don't you want the Nara's?" he asked. Sakura sighed into the kisses.

"Ino's got a big mouth. She'll know what we're up to and then who knows what she'll do or who she'll tell," said Sakura. "I mean it's not like people don't already know what we are in a sense," she said while fiddling with his tie again. Sasuke stopped his kisses and brought his lips to her ear.

"What are we?" he asked quietly. Sakura blushed and stopped playing with his tie. What were they? The hell if she knew! She was the confused party here, not him, but what to call him. Boyfriend? Lover? Her man? She didn't know. Boyfriend seemed so juvenile and lover was too dramatic.

"We're weird," she said, forcing him to look at her with a half smirk.

"_You're_ weird," said Sasuke. Sakura smacked his shoulder and shoved him off her before sitting up on the couch.

"Well you're the one that's into weirdo's," she said as she stood up and stretched. "But I'm _your_ weirdo so there!" she said while stretching her arms behind her. She didn't notice Sasuke stare after her last statement. He was having a moment as her words echoed in his head.

"_I'm your weirdo"_

…his…she was all his….and he loved hearing her say that.

"Hn," he said. The sound of her pager going off was heard and she took a look.

"I have to go," she said. "I'll see you Saturday then," Sasuke stood up and walked to his desk. He brought the black satin box over and looked her in the eye.

"Wear this," he said while opening the box and showing her the necklace. Sakura looked at the necklace before looking back at him. Sasuke took the necklace out of the box and hooked it behind her neck. She made no move to stop him and allowed him to do so.

"Why so adamant about the necklace?" she asked.

"Why so against it?" he asked. She had nothing to say to that. She held the pendant in her fingers and watched it sparkle before tucking it in her shirt and out of sight. "I'll see you on Saturday," he said. She nodded before giving him a quick kiss and leaving.

* * *

**Saturday:**

It was finally the big day, and timing couldn't have been better. Kakashi had called her saying that he was going to be at work all day working on a new case. She had a feeling it had something to do with Anko's arrival and didn't question it. That gave her one less thing to worry about.

Sakura dressed for the occasion in a red form fitting long sleeved fleecy top and black leggings with a short white skirt over them. She also decided to wear the white gold circle necklace that Sasuke had given her. She looked over her appearance in the mirror, taking in the outfit as a whole. She didn't know why, but for some reason, she felt as though she might not be able to wear this look again.

She brushed her hair and sprayed on her cherry blossom perfume. She took a step closer and examined the side of her head closely. The cut from the incident healed well enough, but there was still a faint outline of a scar that was almost completely hidden by her hair. She hoped that he wouldn't notice, but knowing Sasuke, he would.

She sighed and grabbed her purse. All she had to do was drop of Sora at Ino's for a sleep over.

"Sora, are you ready yet?" she asked as she made her way to his room.

"Yes Mommy," said Sora as he came out with his backpack and sketchpad.

"Great. Let's get going," she said. They got out the house and Sakura made sure that her new security system was in place before locking the door and getting into the car and pulling out.

During the drive, Sakura kept looking back in the rear view mirror at Sora. She smiled as he watched the traffic outside with innocent eyes. She loved her baby boy so much. She would miss him tonight.

"Are you excited about your sleep over?" asked Sakura as she pulled up to Ino and Shikamaru's house and parked the car. She got out and helped him out of his car seat.

"I don't know," said Sora. "Uncle Shikamaru said we're going cloud watching tomorrow. It doesn't sound very fun," he said making her chuckle.

"I see," she said. "Well you can draw the clouds and see what kinds of shapes you can make out of them" she asked. "I think that's why uncle Shika likes it so much," she said. Sora thought about it for a bit and then nodded.

"Okay," he said. "But are you going to be by yourself Mommy?" he asked. Sora never liked to leave her alone.

"No sweetie, I'll be okay. I'm just going to see some friends," she said as she bent down to his level. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine," she said "Promise me you'll have fun alright?"

"I promise," said Sora. Sakura brought him into a hug and kissed his cheeks. She grabbed his bag and walked hand in hand with him until they reached the front door of Ino's vine covered house.

Sakura rang the doorbell and in no time, Ino opened the door.

"Hey there forehead girl, hi handsome" said Ino, making Sora blush. "I thought you'd never get here," she said.

"Sorry miss piggy. We were running late," she said. "I'll be back to pick him up tomorrow around noon," she said. Ino nodded.

"Well come in a have a drink or something. I need your baking advice," she said as she dragged Sakura and Sora into the house.

"Hi Aunty Sakura," said Akira as they walked into the living room.

"Hi sweetie. You practicing for the recital?" asked Sakura.

"Yup," said Akira. "Suki and me are going to be flowers and I get to be an orange blossom," she said happily.

"That's great. Practice makes perfect," she said. Sora went to go play with Akio, who was sitting on the couch watching their favorite ninja anime. Sakura followed Ino into the kitchen and sat down on the stools that lined the bar area.

"So what are you baking?" asked Sakura. She eyed the spotless kitchen that didn't even look like she was cooking anything.

"Oh I'm going out to buy some cake for kids later," said Ino. "I just didn't want you to leave before I got the inside scoop," she said. Sakura nearly fell over in her chair.

"I knew you were up to something," she said.

"We'll forgive me for trying to catch up with you," said Ino. "Just because you've hooked up with Sasuke doesn't mean you can't talk to your best friend," said Ino. Sakura blushed.

"That has nothing to do with it," said Sakura. "You're just being nosy," she said. Ino smirked.

"So what do you plan on doing with this hot date of yours?" asked Ino. "I've got the kids tonight, and your father has work. You and he are going to be all alone…together…and you might have se-,"

"NO!" said Sakura. "Ino you're getting way to ahead of yourself. This is just a simple dinner together," said Sakura."...and how did you know my dad's working tonight?" she asked.

"That's not important," Ino said quickly "There's no such thing as a simple dinner. Where the hell are you guys going anyway?" she asked.

"Nowhere we're just going to eat at his house," she said. But apparently it was the wrong thing to say because now Ino was pumped.

"His house!" she hissed so that the kids wouldn't hear. "You're going to be alone with him at his house?" she said.

"Yeah?" said Sakura. "What's the big deal? I'm there all the time anyway,"

"For the love of...I'll be right back," Ino said as she left the kitchen. Just then the doorbell rang. "Can you get that for me?" asked Ino from upstairs.

"Sure," said Sakura. She walked over to the door and opened it to find Itachi and Suki.

"Hi Aunty Sakura," said Suki as Itachi placed her on the ground. She ran into Sakura's arms and hugged her midsection.

"Hi sweet pea," said Sakura as she ruffled her hair. "All set for the big sleep over?" she asked,

"Uh huh!" said Suki. Sakura smiled and then looked back at Itachi. This was only her third meeting with Sasuke's older brother, and it was still awkward.

"Hello Sakura," said Itachi in his low deep voice. He was dressed in all black with along trench coat covering most of his outfit. He looked like a character right out of a Van Helsing movie. It made her shiver.

"Hi…Itachi," said Sakura. Suki scurried past them and into the living room with the kids. "Would you like to come in?" asked Sakura.

"It's alright," said Itachi. "I have to get back to work soon. How are you feeling?" he asked. He briefly eyed her necklace and she could have sworn she saw something close to a smirk, but she knew he was referring to the incident.

"I'm doing okay," said Sakura.

"And your son?" he pressed. "He doesn't remember much?" he asked.

"He's fine too, and no, he doesn't remember," said Sakura. She kept in mind that he was only doing his job as a detective. She was grateful regardless.

"That's good to know," said Itachi. "Take care," he said as he nodded at her. He turned around and walked back to his car.

"Bye," said Sakura as she shut the door. She released her breath that she didn't know she was holding. Something about Itachi was just so unsettling. She brushed it off and saw Ino come back down the stairs.

"Was that Itachi?" asked Ino.

"Yeah," said Sakura. "He was just dropping off Suki. Well anyway, I've got to go,"

"Just have a cup of tea first," said Ino as she grabbed her arm. "I promise I won't pry into your date," she said. Sakura agreed and the two went back into o the kitchen. Ino warmed up two cups of green tea and brought them over.

"Does your dad know?" asked Ino.

"Well…not really," said Sakura as she took a sip. "He told me he'd be busy with work tonight and just knows that Sora will be sleeping over here," she said. "He seemed a little too confident that I wouldn't go anywhere," she added.

"He's a good father," said Ino. Sakura nodded. "So how are Neji and Tenten's babies doing?" she asked.

"Oh they're doing just great," said Sakura. "I think they can go home in two days if everything goes right. They're so cute Ino. They all look like Neji," she said with a chuckle.

"Boy, I bet Tenten's not too thrilled about that," she said. "But what about their little girl?" she asked.

"I know she'll be exactly like Tenten. She's a feisty little Hyuga," said Sakura. "I miss having a baby around,"

"Really," said Ino. Sakura just rolled her eyes and finished her tea.

"I know what you're thinking Ino. It's not happening and I wouldn't tell you if it was," she said.

"Well you should always be prepared. That's why I slipped a birth control pill into your tea," she said making Sakura choke.

"Ino what the hell!" she screamed while wiping the tea from her lips.

"You're going to be late for your date," said Ino as she practically shoved Sakura through the house.

"I'll get you for this eventually," said Sakura. "Mark my words Ino pig! You're efforts are wasted on me," she said.

After saying goodbye to the kids, Sakura took off for Sasuke's house. As she drove, she couldn't help but get nervous. She wasn't sure if it was from being suddenly infertile for the day, or if it was just anxiety. She knew something would happen tonight, and it could either go really well, or just end horribly.

* * *

**Sasuke's house:**

By the time she pulled up to his house, it was 6:00 PM and dark. The weather was warmer than what she expected, which was good considering she didn't bring a jacket. She rang the doorbell and waited. The door opened and she was blown away by him.

He was dressed in a white button down shirt with the first couple of buttons undone with black pants that made him look like a male model.

"…Hi," she said after snapping out of her ogling. He smirked and held the door open for her as she stepped inside.

"You're wearing it," he noted referring to the necklace. Sakura grasped the pendant in her hand and blushed as he closed the door.

"Yes well, it goes with my outfit," she said.

"Hn," said Sasuke as he guided her to the backyard. Sakura looked questioningly at him and he looked to the side. "We're eating out in the yard," he said with some hint of embarrassment.

They walked a good amount of paces and that's when she saw it.

"Oh wow," she whispered. She caught a glimpse of the simple picnic setting and smiled. She could see a large white blanket right underneath one of his willow trees lined with a few candles. Two plates were set out along with a large basket that was closed. A bottle of champagne was sticking out of an ice bucket with two glasses next to it. It was a simple and perfect picnic setting.

"Sasuke," she said as the reached it. "This is so sweet," she said. She chuckled at how he couldn't seem to meet her gaze and looked away.

"Hn," he said. When he finally turned to her, she stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. A microscopic hint of a blush appeared on his cheeks, but luckily she didn't notice.

"I never knew you were so romantic," she said as they took a seat on the blanket. They leaned against the tree trunk and looked out. The dangling willow branches acted like a natural umbrella with the sway of the breeze. From this view, Sakura could see the partly clouded night's sky along with a beautiful full moon.

"I never properly took you out," said Sasuke. Sakura turned to him and watched as he popped open the champagne and poured it into two glasses. She took the one he handed to her.

"Well technically we had that one time," she said. "But then Sora got sick. That was the first time you tried to kiss me," she said enjoying the way he flinched.

"I did not try to kiss you" he said while taking a drink. Sakura chuckled.

"Yes you did. If it wasn't for that cell phone call, you might have succeeded" she said teasingly. His hand shot out and wrapped around her waist bringing her right next to him. She was caught off guard in a searing kiss that forced her to lean back on impact. They parted and Sasuke smirked.

"Hn," was all he said. He kept his arm wrapped around her waist as she came too. She smiled and leaned into him, careful of the champagne in her hand.

"You're always pushy," she said. "Are you always used to getting your way?" she asked. Sasuke gave her a meaningful look.

"Yes," he said. "Are you always going to be stubborn?" he asked.

"I am not stubborn," said Sakura. "I'm just independent that's all," she said. She eyed the picnic basket. "Did you cook?" she asked. Sasuke brought the basket close to them and opened it.

"I had the Hidden Leaf restaurant make it," he said. Sakura remembered that place from their first outing with everyone.

"Oh, it's been a while since I've been there. The chef's name was Chouji right? Ino and Shikamaru's friend?" she asked. "He was so nice,"

"Hn," said Sasuke. "I ordered two of his specials. I never cared much for the guy, but I trust his culinary opinion," he said as she opened the basket.

"It smells great," she said. They filled their plates with Chouji's special and began eating in silence. From time to time Sakura would glance at Sasuke only to see that he was staring out into the night. It was as if he was thinking about something that was bothering him.

They ate for about twenty minutes before setting their plates aside. Sakura lay across the blanket and propped herself up with her elbow while sipping her champagne. She thought she should take the chance and try to talk to him tonight. This was the only time they were ever really alone, and she planned on taking advantage of that.

"I heard…" she began "…that you never really went out that much in college," she said. Sasuke snapped his head back and starred questioningly at her. "Why's that?" she asked.

"Never cared for that stuff," he answered "College with the Dobe wasn't as carefree as you might think," he said. She chuckled.

"I'll bet Naruto was a real goofball in college," she said.

"Idiot's more like it," he mumbled.

"But he's your best friend," she said. "There must be a reason for that," she said. Sasuke leaned against the tree trunk and placed his arm over one bent knee. He was deep in thought again.

"We were competitive," he finally said. "He would refer to me as a rival and push himself to beat me at every sport there was. He didn't stand a chance academically, so he went for sports,"

"Then how did he manage to become a physical therapist? It's no idiot's job," she said.

"He met a guy who was a physical education major. That green idiot, Rock Lee," he said.

"Rock Lee?" she asked thinking about her god-husband. "No way,"

"Bushy brows and the Dobe would often train together; tai jutsu and all that. That's when Naruto decided to major in physical education. He leaned towards the medical side mostly because of Hinata Hyuga," he said.

"Aww that's so sweet," she said. "So she helped him study and get his medical degree and they fell in love,"

"Not really," he said. "She helped him study, but it took him years to figure out that Hinata liked him," he said.

"I'll bet Neji had something to do with that," said Sakura. "I distinctly recall him being passive aggressive about some guy his cousin was crushing on. Who knew it was Naruto?" she said with a shrug. "But that still doesn't explain why you two are best friends,"

"He may be an idiot, but he's strong," said Sasuke. "He had no one in his life, but he still went on with that stupid smile on his face. Nothing fazed him, and I respected him," he said. "He's…a good guy and a Dobe," he said. She smiled.

"And a great godfather," said Sakura. "Suki adores him. Naruto will make a great father someday,"

"Che," said Sasuke. "There wouldn't be enough ramen in Japan to feed his kids," he said. Sakura laughed.

"If you don't mind me asking…what was your wife like?" she asked. Sasuke kept his composure neutral as he contemplated his answer. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to-"

"She was a good person," he said while twirling his champagne glass between his fingers. "She never asked for much. She loved her family and she was a good daughter to her parents. I agreed to marry her because she was a good woman,"

"I don't doubt that she was," said Sakura. "It must have been hard to lose her so suddenly," she said. Sasuke looked up at the sky without any hint of emotion on his face.

"You think I'm a good person," said Sasuke. "You don't know me that well," he said. Sakura got up from her position and moved to sit next to him.

"You _are_ a good person," said Sakura. "You're a good man,"

"Does a good man fail to love his wife?" he asked. "Because I did. Aya was a good woman, but I can never say that I loved her. I appreciated her as the mother of my child, and a good friend. But I never felt anything more for her than that," he said. "What kind of man do you think does that?" he asked harshly.

Sakura placed her hand on the side of his face. That was the first time he said her name, and that made her more real.

"Don't," she said. "Don't make yourself out to be the bad guy. You respected her and in your own way, you cared about her. But you never hated her, or abused her or treated her badly. You're not a bad guy,"

"Suki…," said Sasuke. "Suki was conceived on in vitro. We never tried on your own. Does that sound like a marriage to you? We made a baby, only out of respect for a dying man's wishes to be a Grandfather," he said. "Can you say that's the work of a good man?" he asked.

"A blind person would be able to see just how much you love Suki. It doesn't matter how she was conceived. It doesn't matter how you felt about her mother. All that matters is that you love that little girl more than life itself. You are a wonderful father, and a good man Sasuke," she said as she caressed his face. "Why can't you see yourself clearly?" she asked.

"There's so much more that you don't know," he whispered.

"So I'll take my time finding out," she replied. "You don't know everything about me either,"

"I know enough," said Sasuke. "You married a man that you loved. You have a son with him, a son that was not a byproduct of a business deal. A son that reminds you of him," he said with regret in his words. "And when you think of him, you can remember a time when you were both happy," he added.

"You think it was so easy for me," she whispered. "You don't know anything about how hard it was for us," she said. "My father hated Sai. When he found out we were together, he lost it. He almost killed Sai. He refused to give me away at my wedding. I lost contact with him for almost a year. When he found out I was pregnant, it nearly killed him," she said at a bare whisper.

"I was so close to losing my family," she continued "But when Sora was born, the fighting stopped. My father came to see me and the baby. He lost his wife to childbirth, and he didn't want to lose me either. It was hard," she said. "Loving Sai was hard, but it was so worth it,"

Sasuke turned his gaze to her face. A small breeze came by and blew her pink tresses behind her. She was looking at him with an expression that was full of understanding, yet that wasn't really the case. She didn't know what she thought she knew. She didn't know him.

"The person you think I am is a lie," said Sasuke. "I'm not that kind of man you could trust with your life," he said.

"But I think you are," she said. "I think you're lying to yourself about who you are. Whatever happened in your past is in the past. You have to move forward,"

"…move forward..," he repeated before looking away again. He was tempted to ask her whether she had really done so herself. That was the question that had been burning through his mind for the past few months now. He couldn't just directly ask her. He risked the chance of losing her for good, but the need to know was killing him.

Would she always be unreachable? And was she the one that could fit in his life? What could he really offer her? But more importantly…just how much did he really care for her?

"We can move forward…together," said Sakura as she took his hand in hers. She was so close to him; the closest any woman had ever been to him. She was the one. He leaned forward ever so slightly and stared at her eyes. She tilted her head up and smiled. Their lips were almost together.

"Can we really?" he asked quietly.

All of the sudden, thunder stuck and the rain came down in large bullet shaped drops, pelting them with moisture. They jumped at the sound and looked up. Sasuke stood up and tried to pack up their things, but it was useless. Within seconds, everything was soaked and it was a good five minute walk back to the house.

Sasuke glared up at the sky for ruining the damn moment. The clouds released a thunderous roar as the rain continued to soak them. Sasuke was so busy cursing the moment that he only came back to earth when he heard her soft giggles. When he looked back at her, she had stopped trying to pack everything and was just looking up at the sky with a smile on her face. She didn't even bother trying to cover up as she held out her hands and lets the rain fall on them.

"Do you plan on getting sick?" asked Sasuke. She chuckled again and looked at him.

"I've always wanted to get caught in a rain storm and not care about it," she said. "Haven't you ever wanted to just be reckless and carefree?" she asked. Sasuke looked at her like she was crazy. Thunder struck once more, but she didn't care. She stood up and stretched her arms out and threw her head back. The cold water did not bother her as it soaked through her hair and clothes.

She felt liberated. For the first time in a long time, she felt absolutely limitless. She kicked her shoes off and laughed as she began to spin around in circles. She could feel the rain drops tingle on her skin and the moist grass beneath her feet.

The rain had completely soaked through all his clothing and the part of Sasuke that wanted to get out of the rain was overpowered by the part of him that couldn't stop watching her. He saw how her now completely wet hair began to curl around her face in small ringlets. Her white skin looked even paler against her darkening pink hair, and her eyes. Those leafy green orbs looked up at the sky in pure glee. Her laughter, something that he had not paid any attention too, rang in his ears and made his heart beat faster.

She was everything that he wasn't; she was free. In all his life, he had never seen anything more beautiful than she was at this very moment.

The champagne and food was left forgotten on the blanket. Slowly, he moved towards her. He didn't feel in control of himself as he moved, it was just a reflex. The sight of her, with her clothing sticking to her skin from being watered down was just too much to bear. She was too far from him.

He wanted her…but was he able to have her? Could she ever really be his? Or was she always going to hold back? Will she always see the face of a ghost when she was with him?

Sasuke was strong, but he would never be able to bear that. He needed to know.

She slowed herself to a stop and breathed heavily with a smile on her face. She saw as he approached her with a look on his face that made her know that it wasn't the rain that made her shiver; it was his eyes.

She tried to get her breathing under control, but as he got closer, her breathing just seemed to quicken along with her heartbeats. Her smile slowly straightened out the closer he got. The rain matted down his chicken hair as the water droplets rolled off his smooth locks. His eyes held her own as the thunder continued to roar above them.

He was no more than two feet away from her. Something about him made her heart surge with emotion. It was as if he was just coming back into her life; as if he had left her somewhere in the past, broken and forgotten. And now he was back and standing in front of her, silently asking her something with his eyes.

The rain was still pouring without mercy as the two of them stood before each other.

"You're not my Sai," said Sakura. She knew what she needed to say to him and prove to the rest of the world. He said nothing and didn't even blink at her statement. Sakura could not stop the words as they escaped her.

"I know what people think when I'm with you," she said. "Neji, Tenten, Tsunade and my father, they all think the same thing," she said. "They look at us and think that Sakura's fallen off the deep end. She can't really like Sasuke as anything more than another Sai," she said as he voice cracked at his name. Thunder struck again before she spoke.

"I felt so angry," she said. "To think that they would insult my love for him like that. Sai was a weird, protective, talented, creative and loving jackass and I loved him with all my heart. I loved him too much to think of anyone else as him" she said as moisture built up in her eyes. "He's gone. I know that. Our son is the only thing I have left of him,"

Sasuke listened to her, letting her get it out. This was what he needed to know. Could she ever be his?

"But I don't care about what my father or my friends think. Let them think what they want. They don't really know me if that's how they see me. But you…," she said as she gazed at his face. "You're the one person who does matter to me," she said. The tears fell, but they wouldn't stand out against her already wet form.

"I want you to know, that I would never see you as anyone other than you," she said. "You're not my Sai. You're more" she said as the thunder struck. She gazed up at him with eyes that captured him.

"You're Sasuke," she said as she stepped closer. "You're _my Sasuke,"_ she declared. And that was it. She was standing with weakening knees and silently pleading to be held.

Her words acted like a key that unlocked his heart. Yes, she could be his…and now she was. He could stand it no longer.

"You talk…too damn much!" he growled before charging up to her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her like he's never kissed her before. It was the kiss that started it all. Every question, every emotion they ever felt was flooding into their kiss: trust, jealousy, the longing and the need; the pure, unadulterated need for one another.

Sasuke held the woman in his arms as tight as he could. In all his life, he had never felt as wanted as he had now. He had finally found what he didn't even know he was looking for. He found her.

They kissed each other again and again as the rain refused to let up. Both were soaked to the bone, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were together. Sasuke lifted her up into his arms effortlessly and practically ran with her.

Sakura only registered that they were now inside when she couldn't feel the rain on her skin anymore. Their lips were still bound together as they haphazardly moved through the house. Sakura clung to him as tight as she could, not wanting to break the kiss at any cost. He blindly guided them through the first floor den.

He could feel their breathing mix together from the cold air outside, but he had never felt as hot as he did right now. They collided with a wall, making Sakura gasp and cling to him even tighter. Sasuke took advantage and sent his tongue right in, to which she responded quickly. He held her up against the wall with his body as his hands roamed around her sides.

His hand slid down her thigh and she gasped as he grasped her bottom. Sasuke's lips slid down to her neck, feeling her pulse quicken even more. Her hands clutched at his hair as his rock hard body held her up. She pushed against the wall and used her legs as leverage as she tightened their grip around his waist. Sasuke stumbled around the walls of the first floor, trying to find the will to get upstairs.

Her rushed breaths and clinging form made it harder to think. They were in one of the hallways now. He stumbled against another wall and held her there. That red fleece top she was wearing was watered down and getting on his freaking nerves. He pushed himself against her hard and she moaned.

She felt his hands reach for her top as his lips worked furiously against her own. Without warning, he gripped the bottom with both hands and pulled against the grain. She gasped at the sound of wet tearing fabric. He had actually torn her top right down the middle. He wasted no time and placed hot open mouthed kisses along her collarbone to her shoulder. Sakura arched her neck back as his lips trailed across her shoulder where two halves of her shirts were hanging on each end. In seconds, they slid right off and landed on the floor with a thud.

Sasuke kissed past her equally red bra strap and briefly grazed over her chest before she tugged on his hair and brought him back to her lips. His hands caressed her slick wet skin as it traveled up and down her back. He pushed off the wall and began to stumble across the hall and navigate through the house. It was the only time he cursed his house for being so damn big.

Sakura's hands found their way to his front and desperately began to fiddle with the buttons of his shirt. She found it hard to do so when his hands were sending shock waves everywhere they touched. He gave her ass a hard squeeze that made her moan and pull the collar apart at the seams, causing the buttons to go flying.

She was back to kissing him as her hands desperately tried to get the soaked material off him. Sasuke held all her weight on one arm while he used the other to help get the shirt off. It gave him time for find the stairs as well. He began the climb and half way up, and Sakura pulled the remainder of his shirt off and let it fall on the steps. The instant contact of his bare skin against hers was increasingly stimulating. He was at the top now, and barely able to keep this up. He darted down the hallway and kicked his bedroom door open.

Sasuke reached the foot of his bed and dropped them on it. Their lip contact was broken and they were gasping for air as he climbed over her.

"Sakura," he said huskily. "Are you…I can't stop this," he said with great restraint. Sakura's already racing heart melted at his concern for her. Emerald eyes starred at Onyx orbs burning with passion as he hovered over her. Her hands came up and caressed his face.

"Then don't," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his down into another fiery kiss. Sasuke groaned as the blood flow in his system concentrated in his tightening pants. His hands slid up her arms and held her shoulders as he kissed down her neck and chest leaving long red marks in his path. She tasted like cherry blossoms in the rain.

Nothing could stop them now. No work, no kids, no anything!

"Sasuke," she moaned as he reached her sinfully red bra. He didn't waste time fumbling with the hook this time. Without warning, he latched onto the center with his teeth and yanked the material apart with one great tug that made her chest lurch forward.

"Uh," she said as she fell back on the mattress. Sasuke looked down to see the cups fall to the side and release her breasts from their hold. She gasped and on instinct she tried to cover herself up, but he held her arms at her sides. Her cheeks were stained with her blush as the heat rushed up to her face.

Sasuke groaned as the tightening of his pants increased and lowered his lips onto hers once more.

"Beautiful," he whispered, increasing her blush. He kissed her neck and moved down between her breasts before releasing her arms and sliding his hands over her chest. She was still wearing the necklace and moaned when he gently squeezed the soft mounds between his calloused fingers. He raised himself higher and was back to kissing her lips again.

She gasped and moaned as he gently massaged her chest. His lips left hers and once again traveled down her chest and enveloped her right breast in his mouth. Sakura arched into him and tangled her fingers into his damp midnight locks.

It had been so long since she was intimate that this felt like her first time all over again. She craved more of his touch as his mouth worked its way to her left side. Hearing the sounds that came out of her mouth was turning him on even more that he could have imagined. But he didn't want her to stop saying his name.

Sakura's hands slide down his chiseled back and reached for his pants. She fumbled with his belt and managed to yank it off. Sasuke used one hand to undo the zipper as she slides his pants as far as she could. He hastily kicked them off and was left in his boxers. What was more important now was getting the rest of her clothes off her. He kissed down the valley of her breasts and along her smooth flat abdomen until he reached her skirt.

His fingers tugged at the skirt and leggings and pulled them down with so much force that even those began to tear. He tossed the shreds to the side and admired her form clothed only in matching red panties. She was so beautiful. Every curve of her body, every breath she took, the pink tresses scattered around her and the blush that made her eyes pop captivated him.

He was captivated by a cherry blossom.

She gazed at him with thoroughly clouded green eyes. He was crouched over her like a predator admiring his prey before he made the kill; but she was no helpless prey. She eyed his lean muscular build with the intensity of a lioness.

She pushed herself up with her elbows and lunged at him. Their lips were back together in seconds with no hope of detachment. She could feel his arousal as she pressed herself against him. He let out a strangled groan as she did and couldn't help but fall back against the sheets with her on top. She gazed at him with eyes full of adoration and lust. She kissed his jaw and moved down to his neck where his tattoo was located. He shivered as her soft lips placed a tender kiss right over the mark. He could have sworn he felt electricity surge through his system at for a second, feared that he would react and hurt her.

But her kisses moved down to his chest sending more sparks throughout his body. She slowed as she reached his abdominal muscles and caressed them with her hands. He was so sculpted and lean; a perfect piece of human anatomy in her eyes. Her thighs rubbed against his arousal and that was it. He couldn't take it anymore.

He quickly pulled her underneath him and crushed his lips with hers. His hands instantly went for her panties and grabbed each end. She heard rather than felt him rip the ends off and pull the material away leaving her bare to his eyes. She gasped when his hands roughly caressed her thighs and pulled them apart. She knew she was wet beyond all reason. For the first time in three years, she was fully ready for what was to come and she couldn't wait any longer either.

She pulled at his boxers and he paused to get them off as well. Once they were tossed aside, he hovered over her with his eyes blazing with fire. She could feel him at her entrance and quickened her breathing.

"Sakura," he choked with every ounce of self-control he had. Even so, he was still waiting for her permission; for her confirmation that she belonged to him.

"Sasuke," she said with glazed eyes. She grabbed his face with her hands and kissed him with all the love she muster, and that was enough for him.

He entered her with one swift thrust that blew their minds away. She screamed into their kiss and threw her head back in rapture gasping out his name. The sudden intrusion and his sheer size overwhelmed her, sending her into a fit of shock. Sasuke fiercely groaned as he was enveloped in her tight heat. Emotions exploded in their hearts as they managed to gaze at one another.

They could see it in each other's eyes. The power of their intensity mixed with pure and budding love. Sasuke remained as still as he could, not wanting to push her any more than he had, but when he felt her move with restlessness, he pushed back.

He pulled out and quickly thrust back in, loving the moan that escaped her lips as he did so. She wrapped her legs around him pulling herself closer with each thrust he took.

"… Sasuke," she gasped as he continued to plunge in and out with increased fervor. Her legs increased their grip as he increased his speed with every passing moment.

Sasuke was in a state of pure ecstasy as he made love to her. Her breathy moans and the sound of his name coming from her lips filled with so much emotion that it was all he could do not to collapse.

His beautiful cherry blossom, his Sakura filled the whole that plagued his icy heart. He felt complete now.

She was meeting him half way as she pushed herself against his every thrust; increasing the pleasure and making him throw his head back in awe. Her fingers were digging into his back leaving angry red marks, but he didn't care. He wanted her closer. He wanted them fused into one.

He groaned her name as his leaned down and captured her lips again. Their breathing raged together and their movements increased with every passing second. Sakura's heart over flowed with his essence. Tears streamed from her eyes as she realized just how happy she was at the moment.

She was with her Sasuke now. Everything was going to be okay.

Sasuke kissed the tears around her eyes and continued to thrust into oblivion. The pressure in her lower abdomen was building and driving her insane. She felt as though she could be paralyzed within the next five minutes.

"Harder," she groaned. He grunted as he complied and plunged into her with more force. She threw her head back as he hit the bundle of nerves inside her that sent her reeling. The tight coil in her body was winding up even more as she felt the end coming closer.

Sasuke's body was raging with bliss. Her heavenly heat and the tightness of her muscle were pushing him over the edge. Every thrust and every move they made was building with intensity. Her breathing was ragged now and he could tell she was close.

She arched her back and gasped his name as her climax hit. Dormant waves of intense pleasure washed over her body like a storm. Sasuke watched her as he continued to thrust into her. She left him breathless as she rounded her chest into him and screamed his name in ecstasy.

The pressure in his own body was reaching its limit as well, and with one hard final thrust, his own climax hit as he released his seed into her waiting body. He collapsed into her arms and desperately tried to regain control of his breathing. Her legs slide back down from his back as he lay over her. They stayed like that for a minute or two as they came back down from the high. The only sound that could be heard was the soft pitter patter of the rain and their harsh breathing.

Sasuke slowly pulled out of her and dropped to her right side, pulling her against his chest and kissing her forehead. Their bodies that were once moist and cold from the rain were now hot and sticky from their sweat.

Sakura met his gaze and gave him a weak smile. She was exhausted and slowly losing consciousness, but she didn't want to lose the sight of his face; especially now, because for the first time since she met him, she saw it.

She saw him smile. It was barely there, but she knew it was a smile. She placed her hand on the side of his face and he placed his own over hers. She could feel his heart beating against her own.

"Now you know," whispered Sakura. "What you mean to me…my Sasuke," she said tiredly. Sasuke slowly kissed her swollen lips once more and barely pulled away.

"Sakura…" he whispered as her eyes gave way to her exhaustion. Before her eyelids closed, she heard him speak again.

"…Thank you…," he said. Her eyes widened only a fraction of an inch before the darkness took her. Sasuke faded soon after her and the two lay in each other's arms, with the rain as their only company through the night.

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**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**Please read the disclaimer at the top regarding medical things. Birth control does not work so easily. **

**Ok so here are some answers to any confused readers. **

**1. Sasuke used to be an assassin for Orochimaru, until he killed him and destroyed the sound organization. Now he tries to live an ordinary life, but still maintains his equipment from his agent days, that's why his office has all that high tech CIA ish stuff, and thats also why Sasuke never had much of a social life in college. **

**2. The CIA has been trying to figure out who killed Orochimaru for years. They have no idea it was Sasuke.**

**3. Karin used to be a part of the sound organization as well, but Sasuke thought he had killed her off along with everyone else. Now she's back with her own agenda. **

**4. Huzzah the lemon has arrived lol. **

**REVIEW IF YOU LOVE ME! **


	23. Their Place

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 23: Their Place**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Early morning…**

He watched her sleep. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

The dim glow of the morning light meant that it couldn't have been any later than 6:00 AM. It was the first time in years that he just lay in bed. He wasn't sure if he had ever really gone to sleep. All he knew was that there was never any desire to remain sleeping before. But it was different now. He shifted just slightly to his right, careful that he wouldn't wake her.

She felt incredibly warm. She sighed into the firm heat that enveloped her being. She could hear the familiar sounds of a steady beating; a heartbeat. The sound soothed her mind as her other senses began to kick in. She shifted ever so slightly, and a pleasing scent infiltrated her nose. It smelled like rain water and another piquant aroma close to musk. She became more aware of herself and that's when she noticed it. This position she was in, was familiar.

She was in his arms, she knew it. For the first time in years, she wasn't waking up alone. The memories of the night hit her central nervous system like a meteor. She was awake now, but she dare not open her eyes. Instead, she focused on sensing him.

She now noticed his strong arm that was weighing down her hip and lower back and caressing the bare skin with his rough fingers. Her head moved with the steady rise and fall of his chest. Unconsciously her arm, which was slung over him, moved and roamed about his skin.

Agile shoulder blades, pronounced latismus dorsai muscles, perfectly aligned inter-vertebral disks, and the hot skin that covered them. She felt him shift at the first touch, and as he did so, the faint glow of the early morning light penetrated her eyelids, and slowly, she opened them to meet two onyx orbs.

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**Sasuke's POV: **

The light shone over her eyes and she opened them. Striking emerald green orbs stared back at him. Her lips curved upward as she tilted her head at him. Neither one spoke as they just gazed at each other. Finally, his hand began to slide up from her hip, up across her sides and stroke her face, before sliding down her neck. He briefly caressed the marks that he made before sliding down.

His finger hooked around the silver chain and pulled up the circle pendant that was lodged between them. Sakura's eyes watched the pendant as it rested between his fingers. The diamonds that encrusted its surface absorbed the dim morning sunlight and sparkled.

Their eyes met, and then he moved.

He spent the better part of last night immersed within her and kissing those lips. What better way to start the day than to kiss her again.

She sighed softly as he kissed her. She closed her eyes pulled him closer, wrapping both arms around his neck. Sasuke leaned over her as his arm secured her as close as possible.

Waking up to her beautiful face felt so natural. How could he go so long without her in his life? Granted, they were both still young, but they lead lives that were beyond their years. They both had major careers and national high status, not to mention children old enough to be in school. Yet at the same time, it was their exact circumstances that brought them together, and for that, he could not complain.

He pulled her against his torso and brought her up into a sitting position near the edge of the bed, still locked in a kiss. The sheets were haphazardly tangled around and between their otherwise naked bodies.

They broke their lip contact by a few centimeters and lazily gazed at one another. It was during this sudden change in position that she became aware of the slight stiffness in her muscles and the slight twinge of soreness in her core. It had been more than three whole years since her last intimacy. She was bound to feel something, but it was not bad at all.

"Hi," she whispered while gently caressing his back with her hands.

"Hn," he said with a semi smirk. His nose grazed her jaw before moving down to her neck where he began to plant soft kisses along her already marked skin. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back with content as she felt the tingle his lips were making. Last night was so perfect. She didn't want to say or do anything to ruin the time she had with him now.

His hand came up and wove into her hair that was stiff and stringy from the rain water while the other caressed her back. His lips hovered near the center of her chest with her necklace still in place, as his eyes scanned over the markings from last night. Her delicate skin was out done by the red imprints of his mouth, and he wondered how she was feeling after he finally lost control.

"…Are you okay?" he asked quietly with his face still concealed from hers. Sakura looked down at his midnight locks and brought her hands up into his hair, pulling him back so she could look at him. The sun's rays glimmered off his eyes, showing no other shade in his iris besides the charcoal black she loved. She was at a loss as to how such deceptively depthless eyes could hold so much worry and concern for her. She ran her hand along the side of his face and smiled at him.

"How could I not be?" she asked as she gently kissed his forehead. "I woke up…and_ you _were there with me," she said as she kissed him once again. But that did little to ease his guilt. Sasuke still wasn't satisfied. He pulled away from the kiss and held her close.

"You shouldn't trust me so much," he said while looking into her eyes. Sakura sighed.

"Yet I do," she said. "I trust that you care about me; enough to kill yourself with worry over me," she added.

"If I hurt you in _any_ way…," he said. He never intended for them to go so far last night. He wasn't thinking straight. They weren't even prepared in the least bit, and he didn't want to shock her into that knowledge. Not to mention he felt he over did it by all the red marks that marred her skin. He lost freaking control. Sakura just chuckled.

"I'm fine," she said while tightening her arms around his neck. "I'm more than fine. I'm happy," she said. She rested her forehead against his as his arms scanned the planes of her bare back. "Aren't you?" she asked cautiously. Suddenly she was worried that he didn't have such a great time. Sasuke noticed this by her tone and launched his face down to hers, smashing their lips together.

He parted her lips with not so subdued force, trying to make her see he was far from disappointed with _her_. Sakura welded herself against him; still unsure of herself but unable to tear herself away from him. She tangled her fingers in his hair, amazed that his locks still felt as silky as ever regardless of the rain water. His hands slid all over her backside, causing Goosebumps to surface.

Of all the things she could be thinking, she thought _he_ didn't enjoy himself; annoying as ever. She sighed as his lips slide across her jaw and over her pulse.

"What do you think…," he said while kissing her neck. "…I thoroughly enjoyed myself," he said. He enjoyed the way she sighed in relief at his words. "Looks like I need to keep proving how much I enjoyed it," he said kissing her back up to her lips. The increasing passion of the kissing was suggesting that they would get into another round, but it's been more than enough time for her previous protection to wear off as it was.

"We…can't," she said while breaking away from the kiss. She groaned, cursing the fact that she couldn't be so intimate again. She held onto his shoulders as she stared at his face. "I mean, _I _can't," she said. "I was prepared last night, but not today," she said.

"Prepared?" he asked. Sakura hesitated and looked down at his chest sheepishly.

"Ino," she said. "When I dropped Sora of at her place, she took one look at me and predicted that this would happen," she said. "She slipped a birth control pill into my tea," she said. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He was surprised alright, but highly relieved at the same time.

"Hn," he said. "She's good for something after all," he smirked. Sakura smiled and leaned her body against his. She didn't want to leave his side. It felt perfect…too perfect. She was more than happy to be with him again, but she just couldn't risk it.

"What time is it?" she asked uncaringly as she kissed the area near his tattoo all the way up to his cheek. Sasuke's tilted his head to the side and glanced at the clock.

"6:10," he said. Sakura groaned.

"Uh…so early," she said. "Why'd we wake up so soon?" she asked. It was then that she remembered that she had to pick up Sora in afternoon, not to mention her father was bound to stop by after his all-nighter at work. What would she say to him if he beat her to it? She groaned again and leaned her forehead against his.

"Are you hurt?" asked Sasuke, taking her groan as a sign of pain. Sakura sighed at looked him in the eye.

"It wasn't my first time you know," she said. "I'm fine. You should have seen Sora's head when he was born. After that delivery I can conquer anything," she said. "Including you," she said kissing him again. Sasuke grabbed her hips and pushed them back against the bed. He pinned her down and ravaged her mouth with increased fervor. She just challenged him, and he would win.

Sasuke's hand slid down the side of her chest, slightly grazing her breast and moved down roughly grabbing her thigh and swinging it around him. Sakura clutched onto his hair and kissed even harder than before. The cool morning air did nothing against their increasing body heat. She moaned as his other hand worked its way down to her chest as his budding arousal began pressing against her. How could she stop when she wanted it so badly?

The bed sheets tangled even more around them as they both fought for control over one another. Sasuke's hands found her breast and slowly began to massage her soft mound until her own hand stopped him.

"I want to…so much…but," she said while trying to calm her breathing. Sasuke's face fell to her chest. He planted a hard kiss on her torso before sighing and hoisting her up once more and into his arms. She yelped as he swiftly got out of bed, letting the sheets drop off of them and walked with her into his bathroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he walked towards the opaque shaded glass shower stall. He quickly opened the door and turned the shower head on, releasing warm water and steam. Without warning, he placed her in the shower stall and closed the door. She yelped when the warm water doused her bite marks and scratches, before numbing out.

"We need space if we want to stop the second time around," he said while leaning against the door, knowing that a tempting opportunity with her was only a glass door away. "Shower here. I'll go to the other one," he said while quickly walking away. Sakura was left in the shower, thankful that he found the strength to break away. She had no resolve left over.

She looked around the spacious shower stall and saw nothing above the average materials; a bar of clean soap, a razor, and an ordinary bottle of men's shampoo with no conditioner. She touched her marked chest and realized that she still wore her necklace. She carefully unhooked it and placed it near the soap bar rack. Sakura picked up the bottles of shampoo and wondered how Sasuke had such fantastic hair with such ordinary hair care products.

"Must be genetics," she mumbled while popping open the cap and squeezing some shampoo into her palm. Sasuke's mother had beautiful hair and she no doubt passed that onto her son. She began washing her hair and working out all the kinks in her muscles as the hot water soothed away the evidence of last night. She spent the next few minutes washing her body before rinsing off and stepping out of the shower.

She grabbed the nearest towel and wrapped it around her body before she thought of something else. What would she wear? She looked around the bathroom and found one of Sasuke's business shirts hanging near the towels. It was better than nothing, and such a post-coital thing to do in her opinion.

She threw the towel to the side and slid into his large shirt. Her damp hair hung loosely around her face as she starred into the mirror. His shirt made her looks smaller than she really was, but she liked the way she looked in it. It made her feel more…in place so to speak. The she went back into his room.

Sakura walked around the room in search of her clothing. She spotted something red along the side of the bed and went to go pick it up. She held up the remains of her torn panties. She blushed when she recalled the moment he had ripped those right off in his haste. She would have to wear less delicate underwear around him from now on. She blushed again at her thought process of future sex with Sasuke. Clearly she couldn't resist him anymore.

She spotted her bra and leggings not far from the panties. The bra was hooked on the back, and torn at the cups. Now she couldn't use that one anymore either.

Sasuke was still off showering, so she decided to go and fish for the rest of her clothing. She held the shirt against her and walked out into the hall. It was strange being so familiar with his house now. From the top of the stairs, she could see his shirt on the banister and her two shreds of a shirt at the base.

Seriously; that was an entire outfit that is now torn to shreds. She had a feeling she wouldn't ever get to wear that ensemble again too. She walked down the stairs and picked up her destroyed shirt. Every article of clothing she had worn when she arrived here was now unusable. Just what would she wear when she had to leave?

But when she really thought about it, she realized that it must have taken a good amount of force to tear a bra. Those are usually made to last with tough fibers and wires. For him simply yank it off her with his teeth…

She shuddered when she recalled that moment. He was strong, with excellent muscle control.

Her stomach growled interrupting her wardrobe dilemma; can't think on an empty stomach. She glanced back up the stairs and wondered how much longer he would be in the shower, not to mention that she didn't even know which shower he was using. He had four bathrooms.

"I'll make something for him," she said to herself. She walked into the kitchen and left her clothes in a pile on the counter. She then went over to the refrigerator to see what she could make for him. She opened the door and immediately spotted his beloved tomatoes. She picked one up and gave the plump tomato and gentle squeeze. Sora and Suki's little faces came into her mind. She smiled as she remembered their first dinner together. That was the night Sasuke told Sora that tomatoes make you stronger. Ever since then, Sora's been in love with them.

She grabbed one more tomato along with a few eggs and greens and closed the fridge. She figured a simple omelet would be a good source of protein and it was easy to make. She gathered some bowls and a pan and began cracking some eggs.

**…..**

Sasuke hung up and tossed his cell phone to the side. After he showered, he received a call from one of his long time trusted family business partners in regards to some things he bought. It took longer than he thought. He walked out into the hall and went downstairs, only to smell something good cooking in the kitchen. He made his way over and stopped at the entry way when he saw her with her back to him. She was chopping some tomatoes on the cutting board as something simmered on the stove top.

Sasuke starred at her, and found the sudden lust return as he gazed at her from the bottom up. She was wearing his shirt and her milky legs were bare and exposed for his eyes to feast on as his shirt ended tantalizingly just below the curve of her bottom. He could see her shoulder blades move with every slice of the knife as she prepared their breakfast, unaware of his lustful gaze. He knew there was nothing on underneath that shirt. He had done well with destroying everything she wore the other night.

She looked as though she was perfectly in her place in his house. She belonged here with him. He watched as she unconsciously scratched the back on her calf with her other foot. Then he saw her take a small piece of something lusciously red and place it in her mouth. Tomatoes…she was calling him.

Sakura chewed on the ripened tomato as she began chopping another one. The eggs were beginning to set and soon she would add the rest of the veggies. She hoped Sasuke would enjoy her omelets with extra tomatoes. She was so lost in her thoughts of him, that she gasped in shock when his arms suddenly snaked their way around her. Her breath caught in her throat and she stopped cutting when his lips lingered near her ear and whispered.

"Keep cutting…," he said sensually.

"I…," she couldn't even get the words out.

Her hands, which were frozen on the half cut tomato and knife, began to move with great difficulty. She was too focused on his hard abs against her back and his hot breath fanning out on her neck. His arms covered her own as he began to guide her movements, chopping the tomatoes in slow, sensual strokes.

Her breathing quickened with each cut and her body temperature rose. She could feel every bulge and depression of his solid rectus abdominals, and pectorals. His biceps and triceps flexed as he moved with her. Her body began reacting. He was so close, and she wanted him to be closer. She wanted him again.

"…S…Sasuke…," she whispered.

Sasuke could detect a hint of tomato from her ragged breathing.

They finished chopping the tomato, and Sasuke stabbed a chunk with the tip of the knife and brought it up to her mouth. She stared hazily at the juicy piece as he carefully traced the fleshy piece over her lips, coating them with the juice before offering it into her mouth. She quickly chewed on the piece before he dropped the knife, roughly turned around and kissed her hard. She wound her arms tightly around his neck as he ravaged her.

Sasuke savored the flavor of tomatoes mixed with her own essence. He pushed her back against the island countertop while keeping their kiss intact. She moaned as his tongue hungrily wandered around with her own, absorbing every speck of tomato there was.

"Mmm…eggs will…burn," she said between kisses. Sasuke simply grabbed the pans handle and flipped the entire omelet over before setting it back down. That gave him another minute or two with her. He continued to kiss her harder, and deeper while crushing her body against him. His hands grazed her thighs and slid up, clutching at her hips and hoisting her up onto the counter.

Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her without pause. She was surprised at her awakened need to just have him close to her. It had only been a few months since their first meeting, yet it seemed like they had known each other for years. Upon moving into this city, she would have never thought that she would be here now, in her bosses' home, wearing his shirt and nothing more while kissing him on the counter after a night of lovemaking.

Never say never.

"This isn't good," said Sakura when Sasuke's lips moved down to her neck. "You know I can't stop," she breathed. Sasuke massaged her outer thighs and hips as he continued to kiss her neck and chest. That's when he noticed her necklace was missing.

"Where's the necklace?" he asked while grazing her chest with the tip of his nose. She thought about it for a second before realizing that she left it in the shower.

"Must have left it in the shower," she said. She used her fingers and gently pulled his head away so she could look into his eyes. She chuckled when she saw his slightly disgruntled expression. He continued to grasp her hips and massage them in slow circular motions. He just wanted to be as close to her as possible.

"You're not helping me be good," she said as she leaned her forehead against his. Sasuke stole a quick kiss from her lips as the smell of well-done eggs and tomatoes infiltrated his senses. Sakura smiled and hopped off the counter. Sasuke kept his hands on her hips at all times as she slid the omelets off the pan and onto a plate. Sasuke hovered behind her possessively as she added more chopped ingredients onto the hot omelets and poured two cups of juice into a couple of glasses.

"Hope you like omelets," she said. She turned with the plate in front of her and held it up for him to see.

"Hn," he said while eyeing the red chunks of tomatoes cooked right in. For a simple omelet, it smelled amazing. Sakura cut a piece off with a fork and brought it up to his mouth. For whatever reason, she felt like she needed to feed him. Sasuke didn't object and took the large piece into his mouth. It tasted like just as good as it looked. She took his smirk as a sign of approval and began to cut another piece. Sasuke took the fork from her and offered her the piece this time. She smiled and ate it along with him.

This was quite intimate, even for them. She never imagined him to be the lovely-dovey type, yet here they were. It was a bit…out of character, or so she thought.

"Omelets are a good source of protein," said Sakura. "Not that you need it. You're stronger than I thought," she said. Sasuke looked at her questioningly while eating more of the large omelet.

"Meaning?" he pressed.

"Well, you destroyed all of my clothes…with your teeth," she said earning smug look from him. "What am I going to wear when I leave?" she asked. Sasuke thought about that. He couldn't resist the smirk when he recalled the hasty moments where he ripped her clothing to shreds. It was extremely satisfying on his part. But then there was the other thing she said that didn't sit well with him. When she left…

"You can wear one of my mother's dresses home," he said. "She keeps a few of her things here," he said putting the plate aside. Sakura gave him the glass full of juice and drank with him.

"That's good," she said. "At least I wouldn't have to pick up Sora dressed like you," she said with a chuckle. It was then that Sasuke remembered some things he needed to clear up at work. Karin's arrival was constantly floating around the back of his head. He just didn't trust that woman's intentions with anything. Now that she assumed Sasuke had a family, it couldn't be good. He needed to do more background investigating on her before he took more security measures for Sakura and the children.

The look in Karin's eyes when she saw Sakura was lethal.

Her jealousy knew no boundaries. Not that she had any right to be jealous. Sasuke never allowed Karin to even so much as touch him for anything purpose whatsoever. Exactly why she thought she had any claims on him was beyond his reasoning. She was just psychotic.

"I need to go back to work," said Sasuke. Sakura's eyes dropped.

"Right now?" asked Sakura. Sasuke noted the disappointment in her voice…and he liked it. He tilted her chin up and pressed a kiss onto her lips.

"I'll go when you pick up Sora," he said. "I won't be able to get Suki until later. She'll stay with Akira for a while longer," he said. Sakura sighed with relief and wrapped her arms around him.

"Good," she said while kissing his exposed shoulder. "I'm not _quite_ ready to leave you yet," she admitted earning a smirk from him. He once again hoisted her up onto the island counter and began ravaging her mouth with desire. How long would he have to wait to be alone with her again? He wanted her with him at all times. His desire was only growing as the seconds passed, but he had to remain in control of himself. They still weren't safe; in more ways the one.

"I'll work on…getting… the pill," she said between kisses. Sasuke growled at the promise of more sex, making his lust for her intensify and his kisses stronger. Sakura chuckled as she took the impact of his fierce affection. She needed those birth control pills fast. The only problem…who would prescribe them to her?

She could only think of one person and she was dreading the look on Tsunade's face when she asked her mentor for pregnancy protection. But it was for Sasuke and she would do it for him.

* * *

**Nara Household:**

Shikamaru opened the door. Kiba and his son Jun, along with Akamaru stood outside.

"Hi Mr. Nara," said Jun, who was holding onto Akamaru with a leash. Shikamaru didn't think the boy could restrain a dog that was three times his actual size.

"Hey kid," said Shikamaru. "Everyone's inside," he said. Jun and Akamaru scurried on inside while Kiba remained outside.

"How's it going?" asked Kiba. Shikamaru closed the door behind him and stepped out onto the porch with Kiba. He leaned against the railing and brought out a cigarette and light up. Kiba scrunched up his nose at the smoke.

"Sorry. Can't do it with the kids inside," said Shikamaru. He knew that Kiba's nose was just as sensitive as a dog, but he couldn't help it.

He could gear the kids playing in the living room. Kiba leaned against the railing, watching the cars go by on the street. "How's the case?" he asked. Shikamaru blew out a puff of smoke before answering.

"Not much to do until I get Tsunade's analysis," he answered. "I just don't see the connection or its relevance right now. All I can think of is that Kakashi's guilt still hasn't resided yet,"

"Can't really blame the guy though," said Kiba. "Kakashi nearly destroyed himself with rage when _he _began seeing _her. _That was out of line for an agent but I can't blame _him _either. Sakura is one fine woman," he said. "A guy would be an idiot not to fall for her," he added. Shikamaru looked at Kiba questioningly.

"What? I'm just saying she's a good one," Kiba defended. "Nothing wrong with the truth. I'm happily married, but I still have an opinion on other people. Sakura never did notice when people fell for her,"

"She seems to notice a certain person's affections now," said Shikamaru.

"I know," said Kiba. "I can feel Sasuke's killing intent sometimes. Never knew he could be so possessive," he snickered. "It'll be interesting to see where this goes. In the meantime, I'm going to try not to provoke Sasuke too much," he said while walking down the steps and back to his car. "Later,"

Shikamaru put out his cigarette and walked back into the house.

He sat down in his favorite recliner and leaned back while pulling out his laptop and opened it up. The background picture was Ino and the twins. Troublesome woman insisted that he keep it on there as a do-not-smoke aid.

He placed each of his ten fingers on a certain key and pressed down. That broke the standard computer setting and shifted into the high tech data files. He pulled up his latest project titled "Incident" and began working. Since the break in case was not his station, he decided to work on the other assignments he was given.

The one on top of the list was the cold case involving Sai. Itachi had sent him all the old case files along with pictures of the supposed crime scene and lab results. The one thing he was not able to obtain was the actual pictures of the cadaver, since none were taken.

He began going through the reports, when the sudden fit of giggles caught his attention. He looked beyond his laptop to see Akira and Suki standing before him, dressed in flowery too-toos.

"Watch us practice Daddy" said Akira as she and Suki began twirling before him. Shikamaru sighed and saved his work. The girls played out their routine while he watched with as much of an interested face as he could muster. His eyes wandered around the room, and that's when he noticed Sora and Akio at couch watching anime. Today there just happened to be a marathon of that show on TV, which meant the boys would pretty much be glued to it all day.

Shikamaru's eyes zeroed in on Sora. The kid was interesting in his own way. He could tell just based of his genetics that he was full of potential both physically and mentally. He clicked onto the files once more and pulled up all of Sai's case files again.

"Daddy, you're not watching!" said Akira. He looked down at his little blond haired daughter who was standing with her feet apart and her little fists on her hips with all the attitude a five-year-old could muster. It was frightening just how much she resembled her mother at that moment. He pitied the poor fool that would one day marry mini-Ino.

"Sorry princess, Daddy's got a lot of work to do," said Shikamaru. Akira huffed and walked away with Suki in tow. He sighed. If she was this demanding as a child, he could only imagine her teenage years. A message alert popped up on the screen with an insignia of a slug imprinted on it. It was a message from Tsunade. Shikamaru clicked it open and discovered that it was her reports on the blood stains of the intruder. Shikamaru briefly scanned its contents before he read the message about a brief meeting regarding Sai's cold case.

Ino shuffled in by his side and sat down on the arm of the big cushy chair.

"You have a message," she said. Shikamaru glanced at his wife with his usual bored expression, but nodded. He closed the laptop and got up from his chair, following her upstairs into their bedroom. Ino sat in front of her large oval vanity mirror while Shikamaru locked the door. He went over to his shougi board and waited for Ino.

She opened the top drawer of her vanity table and pushed a hidden button that turned her vanity mirror into a computer monitor mode. A keyboard slid forward from the same compartment.

A scroll like object popped up in the center of the screen with Tsunade's emblem imprinted on it. Ino opened up the file and an array of documents appeared on the screen.

"Blood analysis and genetic profiling," said Ino as she skimmed through the documents. "That's weird," she said. Shikamaru stood behind her and looked over the documents himself.

"Not if we're trying to catch a potential killer," said Shikamaru. "I'll forward this to Shino. He's the one that did the original blood extraction. But I can already tell it's going to get messy,"

"How can u tell? You didn't even read any of it," said Ino. Shikamaru pointed at the screen to the diagram of the DNA strand.

"We have one piece of DNA and Tsunade just sent us profiling information. All we need now is something to compare it too, which I don't have at the moment. Shino's going to have to look at it and run it through the system for a match," he said before forwarding the files to Shino's invoice. Now all they had to do was wait for the results of his analysis.

* * *

**CIA Entomology Department:**

Shino was observing the experimental chamber which currently held the fresh cut carcass of a cow. A large pool of blood surrounded that cow as well. He pushed a few buttons and a small container filled with genetically enhanced army ants appeared. These ants were three times the size of a normal ant. As soon as the container lifted, the ants swarmed the bloody cow carcass and began to devour it. Within one minute, the cow was nothing but degraded bones. Even the blood pool was cleaned up.

These were going in the record books. A beeping noise caught his attention from the gruesome scene.

Shino looked up upon the message on his computer screen. Shikamaru's emblem appeared. He opened the files and read through them.

He began opening up the files and processing the info before running the profile he received along with genetic information that Tsunade had given him. He let the computer scan and went back to his work on the tracker beetles he was also working with.

He was particularly peeved with this one beetle known as the Bikochu. It was a tracking beetle that stays near the first scent it is exposed too. Highly useful, but now utterly useless since the first scent it was exposed to was Naruto's bowel gas. Now the beetle wouldn't go near anyone expect him; useless. Naruto was forbidden to come down into the lab area after that incident.

Shino tried everything to get that beetle to follow other scents, but to no avail. The beeping of the lab results snapped him out of his frustrations. He went over to the holoscreen and displayed the results.

"What?" he gasped. The results on the screen both confused and startled him. He actually took a step back from the large screen in shock. This couldn't be real. He read the results over and over again, piecing the clues together. This was just too much. Surely there must have been some mistake. Tsunade's results must have been flawed. Kakashi would be all over his lab if he didn't verify for sure.

The pictures on the screen were extremely unsettling, even for him. He had to be sure. He double checked the paper work, and re-ran the tests. The results were the same. He needed to inform them, and it wouldn't be pleasant.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

After going home to change back into her own clothing, which consisted of a full sleeved turtle neck shirt and jeans along with her new necklace, she got back into her car and drove over to Ino's house. It quite a struggle getting away from Sasuke when he got that excited, but they managed when she mentioned the kids.

She smiled when she thought of their cute little faces. She was a mother through and through and she couldn't wait to see Sora and Suki. It was funny how life seemed to mesh their lives together. She drove for ten minutes, all the while thinking of how her life had taken a dramatic turn for the better. She managed to find a man that somehow filled the empty void in her heart, and a little girl that won her over as the daughter she never had.

She was almost afraid that things were going too well; that life was not meant to be so good for her. She could only pray that that was not the case as she pulled into the driveway. Life couldn't be that cruel to one person. But she didn't want to tempt fate.

She couldn't stop thinking about Sasuke. He was in her every thought…and it scared her.

* * *

**Shikamaru's Backyard:**

"Sora, over here," shouted Jun. Sora kicked the ball in Jun's direction and then ran after it. They had been kicking that ball around for a while now. Akio actually participated in this event. The girls had been playing around them doing their dancing thing, while Akamaru ran alongside the boys.

"Pass it back," said Sora. Jun kicked the ball back and Sora gave it a karate kick, causing the ball to go flying and hitting Suki in the back. She fell to her knees in the process. Sora ran over to get the ball back.

"Sorry Suki" said Sora when he reached for the ball. Suki groaned and shuffled to her feet. She had her hands around her belly and she looked funny.

"Are you okay Suki?" he asked. Suki shook her head and looked at the ground. Akira came and stood next to her. She placed her hand over Suki's forehead.

"I think she's sick," said Akira. "I'm going to go tell Mommy," she said before turning around and running over to the house. It was then that Sakura pulled into the driveway and went around back to the yard. She opened the gate and walked over.

She saw the kids, along with Kiba's son Jun, huddled around each other. Akamaru was also there and nuzzling Suki with his nose. Then he spotted her and ran right over. Sakura pet his head and Sora looked up to see her.

"Hi Mommy," said Sora as he approached her first. She smiled. She was afraid that seeing her boy after the night she had had would be strange, but it was anything but. She missed him.

"Hi sweetie," she said. She hugged him close and kissed his cheek. "Did u have fun?" she asked.

"Uh huh," said Sora. Sakura looked back to see Suki slowly walking towards them. Immediately, Sakura noticed that she didn't look so good. Suki looked a bit pale while her cheeks and nose tinted a bit pinkish. Sakura stood up and rushed over to her.

"Suki?" she said as she knelt down. "Are you okay?" she asked. She placed her hand over her forehead and gasped. Suki was burning up. Sakura picked her up and hugged her close.

"I don't feel good Aunty Sakura," she groaned as she wrapped her arms around her neck. "My tummy hurts," she said. Sakura brushed her black hair back and kissed her forehead.

"Oh it's okay sweetie. You probably have the flu," she said while running her fingers through her hair. "Come on, let's get you home and into bed," she said. She kissed her forehead once more and walked back to the house. The rest of the kids remained outside with the dog. Sakura walked inside with Suki and into the kitchen.

* * *

**Ino's POV:**

Akira bounced around the kitchen as Ino watched Sakura walking over with Suki from the window. Ino smirked and knew from the way she walking what had happened, and praised herself for her quick thinking with the birth control.

"…_.she so got laid,"_ she thought before Sakura and Suki walked in.

"Heeeeeeeey Sakura" said Ino. Sakura didn't like the look she was giving her. Ino knew. She didn't even have to confirm it. "I just got the news. Still not feeling to great Suki?" she asked as she came and patted her head. Suki just shook her head and groaned.

"Still?" asked Sakura.

"She's been feeling a little down for the past hour," said Ino. "She didn't want to stay inside so I figured a little air would do her some good,"

"She has a fever, maybe even the flu," said Sakura. "Has she eaten anything today?" she asked while adjusting Suki in her arms.

"We ordered a pizza, but Suki didn't really finish her slice and she loves pizza," she said while patting her back. "I gave her some juice, but she's been down ever since," she said. Sakura sighed.

"Well Sasuke said he wouldn't be able to get her until later, so I'll just take her home with me," she said. "She needs some flu meds and I've got some stored at home. It's best to get her in bed as soon as possible,"

"Alright, I'll let Sasuke know," said Ino. "Do you think any of the other kids might get it? The last thing I need right now is for my ballerinas to be out of commission,"

"Probably," said Sakura. "Just to be safe, make sure they drink lots of fluids to flush out any of the virus that may be working in there. Juices, soups and all that," she added. "If they do end up getting the flu, it's best to get it out of their system now before school starts. In the meantime, we're going home," she said while shifting Suki in her arms and kissing her cheek. She helped Suki put her sweater on as Sora went to get his own jacket and sketchpad.

Ino smiled. Sakura had practically become Suki's mother without even realizing it. It was all too perfect. Now all Sasuke and Sakura had to do was get out of their comfort zone and get married and everything would be set. Ino would never understand how a man as sinfully handsome as Sasuke could be without a wife…or at least a relationship. She supposed life just made him wait for the right one.

"Alright," said Sakura as Sora came back with his things. "We'll be going. Call me if the twins get sick. You might want to consider the flu shot for both of them. Ages one through five are the high risk age group for the flu," she said. Ino nodded.

"Alright," said Ino. "Go home and we'll _talk_ later," she said cryptically. Sakura sighed.

"_Friggin Ino," _she thought while walking out the door with the kids.

* * *

**Sakura's House: **

Sakura saw that her father's car was parked outside the building. She was dreading the moment where she'd have to face him. She felt like she had a giant sign of her forehead that said "I slept with Sasuke" in flashy letters. She was almost glad that she had Suki to worry about to get her mind off things. Somehow, her father always seemed to know things he shouldn't.

Sora hopped out of the car and waited for Sakura to get Suki, who had managed to doze off on the ride. Sakura carefully picked her up and carried her to their front door. She rang the doorbell since she couldn't fish for her keys and waited until her father opened it with a surprised look on his face.

"Hi Daddy," said Sakura as she, Suki and Sora stepped into the house. Kakashi closed the door behind them as Pakkun and a few of the other dogs came to greet them.

"Hi yourself. Where were you? I though you didn't have work yesterday," he said. Sakura placed her stuff on the couch and went to carry Suki upstairs.

"I didn't," she answered "I had to go pick up the kids from their sleepover," she said and then went up before he could respond. Kakashi turned to Sora.

"What's Suki doing here?" asked Kakashi. Sora took his shoes off and placed his coat on the couch as the dogs wagged their tails excitedly at his arrival.

"She's sick, so Mommy said she has to come here for some medicine until her Daddy can pick her up," he said. Kakashi glanced at the stairs and nodded. Suddenly Suki became top concern for him. Then, an idea occurred popped into his head, which didn't surprise him because that little Uchiha girl was a blast from the past. He turned back to Sora and knelt down.

"I know what we can do to make her feel better," he said. "You're the man of the house so you have to learn how to do this. Come on into the kitchen," he said. Sora was sold after the man of the house part and eagerly followed his Grandfather into the kitchen. Meanwhile upstairs, Sakura got Suki ready for bed.

She carried Suki up to Sora's room and placed her in his race car bed. Suki woke up when Sakura tried to remove her jacket and shoes and changed her into a pair of Sora's jammies.

"Here we go sweetie," she said as she laid Suki down. She was expecting Suki to worsen in a few hours. The influenza virus was a real bitch this time of year and now poor Suki has to suffer through it.

"Aunty Sakura," she said sleepily. "Where's my Daddy?" she asked. Sakura placed the covers over her and tucked in her sides.

"He'll be here soon. He just has to finish his work and then he'll come here to see you. Just rest for now okay?" she said while patting her head. "I'm going to make you some soup and bring you some medicine to make you all better. Does your tummy still feel bad?" she asked. Suki nodded and Sakura made a mental note to bring a bucket in case she wanted to throw up.

She kissed her cheeks one more time and went downstairs.

When she got there, she was surprised to see her father in the kitchen with Sora. The two of them hovered over the stove suspiciously with Sora standing on a high chair, as a familiar smell hit her nose.

"What are you two doing?" asked Sakura as she approached them. She hugged Sora from behind and kissed his head. She knew what that smell was now. Sora looked back from his spot on the chair with an adorable grimace of his face. He looked close to throwing up as well.

"Grandpa's making something yucky," said Sora with his nose scrunched up. "And he said I have to learn how to make it," Kakashi sweat dropped as he continued to make whatever it was that he was making.

"Now now," he said. "It only smells yucky to you because you're not sick. This is a special soup I make to cure anything," he said as he added what looked like dried sardines and chopped daikon into it. Sakura tried to smile through the smell.

"You're making 'get better' soup," said Sakura as she stood next to him. "You haven't made that for me in forever," she said. Kakashi smiled and continued to stir the soup. Sakura watched as Sora's facial expressions became more and more disgusted before he gave up and ran into the living room. Sakura chuckled.

"Looks like he's not going to be learning how to make this," said Kakashi. He noticed that Sakura had changed into a high collar top. He decided to focus on the soup and lowered the heat. "How's Suki?" he asked. Sakura sighed and went to make some coffee.

"Poor baby has the flu," she said as she went through the cabinets looking for her coffee ingredients. "Now I have to make sure Sora's full of liquids so he can flush it out if he's got it. They were together all day anyway," she said. "Sasuke had some work to do back at the hospital so I decided to bring Suki here and give her some medication until he comes back. Although it's probably best if she stay here overnight. It's going to get worse before she gets better," said Sakura. "When did you get here anyway?" she asked as she filled the coffee pot.

"About an hour ago," Kakashi answered. "Work took longer than I expected," he said while looking at her in his peripheral vision. His eyes narrowed. Something was different about her, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. What was it?

"Oh. New case?" she asked. "I've been hearing more and more about those people disappearing in the news. Creeps me out," she said. "Has it been bad back home?"

"Well it's definitely a problem nationwide," said Kakashi. "The problem is that we haven't actually found any…remains," he said. "Because of that, we can't really rule out a serial killer until someone has been found. But it's people of all ages so that makes it harder,"

"Those poor families," said Sakura. "I can't imagine the pain they're feeling. If I ever lost Sora or Suki like that, I'd be insane," she said while checking on the coffee. Kakashi stilled. Clearly she didn't notice what she just said, but he certainly did: Sora…_or _Suki. It was then that he began to put that feeling he had together.

Sakura seemed much more at peace with herself, happier if anything. The way she walked, the way she moved, the way she dressed, and the fact that she probably wasn't home recently. She was also sporting a diamond circle pendant that he had never seen before. His insides began to burn. He didn't want to go there. It was the last thing he wanted to consider, but it was the only one that made sense.

Sakura looked back at Sora, who was drawing at the table and went the fridge. She pulled out juice box and handed it to him.

"Drink lots of fluids so that you don't get sick too," she said. She looked at his face worriedly. He was a bit pale and clammy. She didn't know whether the flu virus was taking affect, or if it was the smell of the soup. He seemed fine on the way here. "Do you feel sick Sora?" she asked. Sora shook his head and glared at the kitchen.

Sakura raised an eyebrow at the gesture. He looked just like Sasuke after Naruto had said something stupid. Perhaps he had been spending too much time with Sasuke lately.

"It's the yucky soup," said Sora. "It stinks," he said while covering up his nose with his arm. Sakura sighed and went to the balcony door and cracked it open a bit. Cool air flowed through the crack, alleviating the odor somewhat. Sakura glanced at the dogs that were dutifully spread throughout the living room, toughing out the smell. They were probably fighting not to run over to run over to the fresh air.

"I know," said Sakura. "But it's for Suki. We have to give her things that will make her feel better," she said. Her cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID and saw that it was Sasuke. "Go check on Suki will you?" she asked Sora. Sora nodded and left his sketchpad on the table before going upstairs.

"Hello," she said while trying to fight a blush. She didn't know why she was blushing, but she couldn't help it. It's not like he could see her.

"_Sakura how is she?"_ he asked urgently. She heard the sound of an engine and figured he was driving over here.

"She's resting right now. I'm making her some soup. It's probably best of she stay here overnight so I can keep an eye on her. It's the Influenza Virus, but it's going to get worse before it gets better," she said. Sasuke sighed.

"_Alright, I'm coming over,"_ he said.

"Do you think you could bring some of her clothes, her toothbrush and her stuffed piggy over?" she asked. "She needs a bath and I'm sure she'll want Tonton with her," She couldn't see Sasuke smirk on the other end.

"_Hn,"_ he said. _"I'll be there in thirty minutes then,"_

"Okay…Bye," she said before hanging up. She put the phone back on the coffee table and turned to go back into the kitchen, when she nearly collided with her father's chest. Sakura jumped a bit and Kakashi had to steady her with his arm.

"…yes Daddy?" she asked while not looking him in the eye. Kakashi noticed this.

"Is _he_ coming over?" he asked. Sakura released her arm from his grasp.

"Yes he is," she said. "I need to give Suki a bath and medication. He'll be bringing over some clothes and comfort items for her," she said trying to make it sound like a business transaction. Now she really felt like she had a sign on her forehead advertising her rendezvous with Sasuke.

"Mommyyyyyyy Suki threw up on the floor," shouted Sora from the top of the stairs. Sakura quickly left her father's side and grabbed the nearest large bucket from under the sink before bolting upstairs.

"I'm coming sweetie," she shouted while climbing the stairs. Kakashi sighed once she was out of sight. She was avoiding him, which pretty much confirmed his suspicions. She was being intimate with Sasuke Uchiha. Pakkun shuffled over to his side and looked up expectantly at his master, waiting for orders. Kakashi sighed and bent down to pet his head.

"It's beyond you're help now," he said forlornly. Perhaps it was time that he gave Sakura her space. His phone vibrated and he checked the caller ID. It was Anko.

"Haven't heard from you in a while," said Kakashi as he spoke into the phone.

"_That's because some of us were working on actual projects,"_ said Anko. _"Anyway, I'm here in Tokyo. Some information has come up, and it needs to be addressed immediately. It's about the DNA analysis,"_ she said. _"You have to come now,"_

"….I'll be there in ten minutes," he said before hanging up. Sora came down the stairs as he placed the phone in his pocket and moved to grab his coat. He stopped at the middle of the stairs and watched his Grandfather get ready to go.

"You're leaving Grandpa?" he asked before he hurriedly rushed down the stairs and stood before Kakashi. Sora didn't want him to leave. He liked having his Grandfather around. Kakashi bent down to his level and ruffled his hair.

"Sorry ninja man," said Kakashi. "But I've got some work to do for the police. Crime fighting never stops," he said. Sora tried to be strong and not pout. "Tell mommy I'll be back tomorrow," he said. Sora nodded before lunging at his Grandfather and hugging him. Kakashi hugged his Grandson close. "Take care of mommy while I'm gone," he said.

"I will," said Sora. Kakashi stood and went over to the door, only to find Sasuke standing outside with a little pink bag in his hand.

"Sasuke," said Kakashi.

"Commander," said Sasuke. They stood facing each other for about thirty seconds before Kakashi simply walked past him and over to his car. Sasuke stepped into the house and closed the door behind him.

"Mommy's upstairs with Suki," said Sora. Sasuke ruffled his hair as he walked over to the stairs.

"Good. Have you been practicing?" he asked. Sora nodded enthusiastically.

"Lee Sensei says that I going to get my purple belt next," he said. Sasuke smirked.

"I know you will," he said. "Give these to Mommy," he said while handing the bad to Sora, who immediately took it upstairs. As soon as he left, Sasuke pulled out his watch and decided to test out his latest investment.

He flipped the dial and watched as the GSP coordinates on the screen matched where they should have been; upstairs in the bathroom. He knew she would like the necklace.

* * *

**Bathroom:**

"Daddy's here," said Sakura as she prepared Suki for a bubble bath. Sora had given her the bag with all of her necessities and went back downstairs to be with Sasuke. Suki smiled a little at her father's name.

Sakura placed the old jammies in the hamper and put Suki in the warm water and grabbed a scrubby body washer. She took a small container filled with light green power and placed a small spoonful into the tub. The water began to release the smell of eucalyptus leaves. Sakura liked this bath salt whenever she felt sore and she used it whenever Sora was achy to help him relax. She grabbed Sora's kiddie body wash that was tear free due to too many incidents with burning eyes in the past, and soaked the scrubby before washing her body. Suki managed to take a nap earlier and Sakura wanted to give her a good bath to rid her of the sweat.

Sakura gently scrubbed her body for a minute or two while she played with the bubbles. Suki giggled a bit when the scrubby went under her little feet.

"Are you hungry now Suki?" asked Sakura as she shampooed her hair. "You didn't really eat much today," she said. Suki nodded as Sakura massaged her head with her fingers.

"A little bit," said Suki. Sakura smiled and rinsed her hair clean. She continued to rise off her body and grabbed a towel. She placed both ends in her hands and used them to lift Suki out of the tub and cover her in the towel without dripping.

"Well that's good because Sora and his Grandpa are making you a special soup for when you're sick," she said. "My Daddy used to make it for me all the time,"

"Is it tomato soup?" asked Suki. Sakura sat on the edge of the tub as she toweled her off and dressed her in her white fleecy pajamas with small pink flower patterns on the bottoms.

"Well it has tomatoes in it," said Sakura. "But it'll make you all better,"

Sakura combed her hair back into a little high pony tail that made Suki's short hair spike a bit at the ends. Her cheeks were tinted pink from the warm bath and she felt fresh. Even when she was sick, she was precious. Sakura grabbed the comfort blanket and wrapped it around Suki and pick her up.

"Now let's go see what the boys are up to," she said while kissing her cheek and climbing down the stairs.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV: **

He heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to see Sakura and a freshly bathed Suki come down. Suki saw him and held out her arms as Sasuke quickly came to her side. He took Suki and held her close while keeping her wrapped in the blanket.

"Daddy," said Suki as she rested her face on his shoulder. Sasuke kissed the top of her head and patted her back.

"Hi Tenshi," said Sasuke. "How do you feel?" he asked. Suki just mumbled something incoherently as she rested in her father's protective arms. Sasuke moved to the couch where Sora was drawing nearby and sat down behind him. Sora glanced back at them and shuffled through his drawings and pulled one out. He got up and handed it to Sasuke, who smirked when he saw it.

"Look at this Tenshi," he said. Suki turned to look at the drawing and cracked a smile. Sora had drawn a talking tomato that said "Get Well Suki" on it. Sasuke kissed her forehead just as Sakura came in with a small steaming bowl of something sinister. It did not look like any kind of soup he ever ate.

"How about some soup?" she asked while spinning the spoon around the mixture. She brought a small spoonful towards Suki's mouth. Suki opened and took in the spoonful and swallowed. She couldn't really taste anything, but the warm soup felt good and eased the ache and nausea in her tummy. She rested her bead back against Sasuke's chest as Sakura fed her more spoonfuls. She also took occasional sips from a juice box.

Sasuke gently stroked her hair as Sakura continued to feed her small spoonfuls of soup. Sora had chosen to eat his dinner at the far end of the couch by the TV. He didn't like the soup and grimaced every time Suki took a sip of it. It was just yucky. The sounds of his ninja anime echoed through the living room. Occasionally Sasuke took a glance at the channel and was intrigued by the show.

For an anime, it was pretty accurate on the ways of a ninja. The main character of the show reminded him of the Dobe for some strange reason. Both were loud mouthed idiots. He thought the dark prodigy character that seemed to be the loud mouths rival was admirable though. Suki coughing snapped him back to her.

Sakura wiped her mouth with a napkin and put the half-finished soup bowl on the coffee table. She got up and went into the kitchen and came back with a pink bottle of medicine and a plastic dosage cup along with a glass of water.

"This is just some medicine to make you feel better," said Sakura as she unscrewed the lid and poured the thick pink syrup into the cup. She measured about two spoonfuls and held the cup up to Suki's lips.

Sasuke sat her up as she sipped at the medicine. She could barely taste the yuckiness, but she knew it was there. The fact that it was pink medicine also intrigued her somewhat. Sakura let her sip some of the water to wash it out of her mouth.

"Sora it's time for bed," she said while glancing over at him. Sora pouted.

"But I'm not tired," he whined, even though he had been suppressing yawns for the past ten minutes. Sakura knew he was worn out. She put the medicine away and took Sora by the hand.

"Still," she said. "We have a big day tomorrow. We're going to see Aunty Tenten and the babies. You need to be well rested for that," she said. Sora complied after that. He wanted to see his new cousins very much.

"…O…K," he said while yawning. He rubbed his eyes as she led him upstairs to get changed. Meanwhile, Sasuke remained in the living room with Suki.

* * *

**Underground Lair: Kabuto's POV:**

Kabuto watched as his latest cadaver simmered in the green holding tank. The level of decomposition still didn't improve. The corpse was getting worse, and his regeneration solution was not working. He was missing a key element, and that was matching DNA.

He still needed test subjects with similar genetic information to really put the test to use. Otherwise, his plan would not succeed. The titanium doors behind him slid open and the sound of heels tapping on the floor caught his attention. Kabuto did not look back as he pressed a few buttons that made the decomposing body chamber revert back into its containment area.

"You know," said Karin as she walked closer to him. "It's not healthy to be so obsessed with the dead," she said as she stood behind him and traced his shoulders with her pointed fingernails. "You should spend more time with the living," she whispered with her lips close to his ear. Kabuto waited until the specimen was completely submerged before turning to the red headed woman and pulling her up against his body. His hands slide down her back before roughly grabbing at her ass and giving a hard squeeze.

Karin wound her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a hard kiss.

Ever since she met him in China, things had changed. She had run into him by chance and once they got talking, everything came together. They both had the same goals, and ironically, the same history with Orochimaru. Together, they would use each other to get what they wanted.

A certain person to possess…

And a certain group of people…dead

It was all about their goals.

"Why can't I just get rid of her?" she asked as he assaulted her neck. He bit down hard around her pulse, making her scream before shoving her against the wall. He looked her in the eye with the light glaring on his lenses.

"Don't be hasty my dear," he whispered harshly. "You will not touch her…no one will touch her," he said. Karin starred at him with narrowed eyes. She just didn't understand why. He wouldn't tell her anything about why he protected her so far.

"Fine…for now," she said before he began ravaging her again. Oh sweet manipulation. It played out well for the both of them.

* * *

**Sakura's House:**

Sasuke had gone into the Sora's room to check up on him. Little guy was sound asleep in his bed, although he was slightly lopsided. Sasuke adjusted him so that he wouldn't roll off the edge. He could still make out the faint outline of the scar that lined his head from the night at the gala.

Sakura was also sporting a scar from the break in. He couldn't get those situations out of his head. They needed so much protection, and he didn't even know what they needed protecting from. It was frustrating.

He looked around the room and that's when he noticed all the drawings that lined his walls. There was a common theme among many of them: Ninja.

It must have been his favorite thing to draw. There were many ninja pictures, a lot of which looked more like Sasuke than he could have imagined. But it was the detail that struck him. These weren't the average doodles of a child. They were precise with emphasis on things a normal kid wouldn't think to draw, like finger nails, or ear lobes, or costume detail, and even the environment.

Sora was a really gifted boy.

Sasuke spotted one drawing that struck him. It was Sasuke and Sora in their karate uniforms. Sora had drawn the day he came over and helped him practice his karate. Sora was riding on his shoulders with the house in the background. He could even see Sakura and Suki figures in the kitchen.

Sasuke let out a small smile as he looked at the little boy sleeping in his racecar bed; a boy he knew would grow up to be a strong man that protected his family. A boy Sasuke wanted to guide into manhood and make sure he knew how to protect the ones he loved.

A son, in so many ways.

Sasuke made sure that Sora was properly tucked in before looking at him once more and closing the door. He made his way over to Sakura's room to bid Suki a good night before he left, when he overhead them talking.

Sakura tucked Suki into her bed and placed her stuffed piggy besides her. Suki held onto Tonton and turned around. Tonight she would sleep beside Sakura, just in case she needed anything during the night.

"I'm going to take your temperature," said Sakura. "Say Ahh," Suki opened her mouth and took in the thermometer. After a minute, Sakura checked the results: 99.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Her fever had gone down considerably.

"Aunty Sakura?" asked Suki. "Can you and Sora come and home with me and Daddy?" she asked. Sakura stopped and looked at her hopeful face. She wanted to say yes so much to that sweet little face, but she couldn't make promises that she probably couldn't keep. It wasn't fair to her. Sakura climbed into bed beside her.

"Oh Suki," she said. She placed her hand on Suki's face and kissed her forehead. "It's not that easy sweetie. There are a lot of grown up things that need to be done before that can happen,"

"What kind of grown up things?" she asked. "Don't you want to come with me?" she asked. Sakura rested her head against Suki's pillow and held her close with her arm.

"Suki," she said. "There are some things that we can't do right now, but no matter what, I will always be here for you whenever you need me," she said. "Daddy and me, and Sora will always be there for you," she said. "So you don't have anything to worry about,"

Suki smiled and cuddled beside her. Knowing that Sakura would always be around made her feel happy. Sakura kissed her forehead once more.

"I love you Suki, you know that right?" she asked.

"I love you too Aunty Sakura," said Suki. Sakura pulled Suki into her arms and held her close. Suki hugged her back as much as she could.

"You're so special, you know that?" said Sakura. "You mean so much to me and Sora. And your Daddy loves you too. So much," she said while stroking her hair, like she often did for Sora to help him sleep.

"That's right," said Sasuke causing both of them to turn in his direction. He was standing at the door way and he had heard every word. He walked into the room and sat down on the bed and placed his hand over Suki's cheek. "You're my Tenshi," he said making Suki smile. What made him smile on the inside was Sakura's embrace around Suki. He could imagine no other woman with the ability to love his daughter more that she did. The proof was there in her words and in her arms. Suki's smile was more than enough for him.

"She should be fine in the morning," said Sakura as held Suki close. "It looks like it was the twenty-four hour flu. She's already showing signs of recovery," she said. Sasuke's eyes lingered on his little girls face. Normally, he would have filled himself with self-loathing after neglecting her for an entire day while she was sick, but not right now.

…Because she wasn't neglected today. She had Sakura.

"Daddy?" asked Suki. "Can you stay with me too?" she asked sleepily. Sasuke's eyes drifted towards Sakura, who smiled in return, silently saying yes to his eyes.

"I will," said Sasuke. "I won't leave you again Tenshi" he said. And with that, he kicked off his shoes, unbuttoned his shirt which left him in a white tank. He unbuckled his belt and let it fall leaving him in his work pants before he climbed in on the other side of Suki.

He kissed her cheek and settled beside her as she snuggled comfortably between them. With one big yawn, Suki settled herself into her much needed sleep. Once she was asleep, Sasuke's eyes connected with beautiful green counterparts.

She was smiling with her eyes.

They needed no words to express how they felt. No words could describe just how content he was. He had never felt this at ease for as long as he can remember. He would do what it took to keep this happiness; the happiness that he had been longing for as long as he knew.

His hand moved and so did hers.

They met just above the sweet child that slept peacefully between them. The child that was now dreaming happy dreams of a family that loved her.

They were in their place…and it felt right.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**It was cheesy no? I couldn't help myself lol. **

**So as usual I would love to hear what you guys think in the form of lovely long reviews lol. If any of you have questions, let me at em. As for the Karin Kabuto luv fest...that will be explained later. Just had to add that in there. **

**AND MYSTERY DUDE 2 IS STILL A MYSTERY MUAHAHAHAHAAH! I know u all hate me for that, but yeah. **

**Review if you luv me! **

***holds up Suki wrapped in a blankie***

**Review if you luv Suki!**


	24. Blood Bonds

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 24: Blood Bonds**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

All he could see was darkness. The figure that was holding the sharp edge of the blade was nothing but a silhouette. It was scary. Now there was red on the floor. He looked to see where the red was coming from. There was a person on the floor. The bad man hurt her.

His Mommy was hurt and he couldn't save her.

The bad man looked at him. Now he was coming towards him with the blade. His Mommy was still on the floor and she couldn't help him.

No one could save them…

**Sakura's bedroom:**

Sasuke opened his eyes and looked straight ahead.

Sleep never did come quickly for him. The only recent exception was the company of one emerald eyed physician, who was currently sleeping beside his equally emerald eyed daughter. Sakura and Suki slept peacefully beside him; their rhythmic breathing and serene expressions was security enough that they were safe from the world.

He was always attuned to the aura of the people around him. Years of underground training from his previous existence had ingrained that ability into his DNA. It was probably for this reason that he stealthily got out of bed and walked out into the hall.

_Someone_ in this house wasn't sleeping so peacefully.

…**..**

He heard whimpering coming from Sora's room and opened the door to find the boy about to fall off the edge of the race car bed. With one more turn, Sora's body swung off the edge and right into Sasuke's steady hands. Sora woke with a weary panic.

"What happened?" asked Sasuke. Sora thrashed in a panic for a moment before realizing it was Sasuke. He looked down and stared at the floor while trying not to cry. Sasuke saw his body shake. He must have had a nightmare. Sasuke steadied him on the floor and knelt beside him.

"You had a bad dream?" he asked. Sora nodded and releases a sniffle. He didn't want to cry in front of Sasuke. He had to be strong, because his Grandpa told him he had to be. He wanted to be brave in front of Sasuke, but the dream was really scary. Sasuke ruffled his hair.

Dealing with nightmares was new to him. He didn't quite know how to handle it. Sora was like Suki; always trying to act brave. Children shouldn't have to protect their parents. That was not how the world worked.

"What did you dream about?" he asked. Sora sniffled and began to shake even more.

"(sniff)…the bad guy came… (sniff)… and he h-hurt…Mommy (sniff)," he said as the tears fell. "And then… (sniff) he tried to hurt me," he said. Sasuke placed his hand on Sora's head.

"It's okay," he said, realizing that the break in had a much more devastating effect than he knew. Sora was probably having recurring nightmares. He was more that sure that this was not the first time he had dreamt about the accident. "I won't let it happen again okay?"

Sora wiped his eyes with his arm and sniffled once more. Sasuke lifted him up and walked with him down the hall and into Sakura's room. Sakura stirred when she heard the door creak and turned her head towards the door. She focused her eyes in the dark and got up when she saw Sora in his arms. She carefully detached herself from Suki's little form and got out of bed and went to him.

"Sweetie did you have another scary dream?" she asked. Sora nodded as Sasuke handed him over to her.

Sakura kissed Sora's forehead and held him close. Sasuke saw the pained look in her eyes and noticed how she used the words "_another_ scary dream". The break in happened just a couple of days ago, yet he could tell that the impact had yet to show until now.

Sakura carried him back to her bed and placed him next to Suki as Sasuke scooted her closer to himself. She carefully placed the comforter securely around them. Then she placed her hand over Suki's forehead. She was relieved when her temperature went back to normal. One more day of rest and she would be fine.

Sasuke remained sitting on the bed against the headboard, watching the three of them. It was almost 4:00 in the morning, but he couldn't go back to sleep. Not when he knew just how scared both Sora and Sakura must be. He didn't want them living here by themselves in fear, but then again he just couldn't ask them to move in. It was impractical and annoyingly complicated. He would just have to settle with being as close to them as he could be.

Within minutes, Sora was fast asleep in his mother's arms.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked. Sasuke turned and stared at her face. She was looking up at him from her side of the bed with tired eyes, but he knew that she probably wouldn't go back to bed either. She always had something to talk about, and this time, he actually had something to say.

"You and Sora living _here_," he replied. Sakura scrunched her face in confusion.

"What?"

"Both of you living alone," he elaborated. She understood then. "It's not safe," he said while getting up and walked out in the hall. Sakura tucked the kids in and went after him. It wasn't like she could sleep anyway and Sasuke's suddenly frustrated aura confused her.

"My Dad stops by frequently," she said while following him down the stairs. "I wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly transferred to the Tokyo division of the police force. I doubt there would be another random break in anytime soon; not with the new security system he installed…and my father's presence in general," she added. Sasuke looked at her as if she said something obviously wrong.

"Not in my book," he said. A thought occurred to him when she mentioned a "random" break in. "Have you noticed if anything in particular was missing from your house?" he asked while shuffling into the living room. "You were supposed to give the police a report on any missing item,"

Sakura thought for a minute. "Nothing I know of was stolen. Everything was just disheveled and out of place. Even my jewelry is all here. Aside from a few lost pairs of Sora's socks and a nightgown I can't seem to find, everything is still here," she said. She must have said something wrong because the way he just stopped moving and stared at her was unsettling.

"…What kind of nightgown?" he asked eerily. Sakura sighed and gave him an exasperated look.

"That man didn't break into my house to steal one particular nightgown Sasuke, that's just ridiculous," she said.

"…What…kind…of…nightgown?" he pressed. She huffed and crossed her arms across her chest.

"A sultry red one with black lace and leather straps and glitter over the cups" she said drily. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and glared at the same time. Sakura sighed; that was new. "It was a simple white silk gown with lace. I haven't worn it since I moved in and I'm sure I lost while I was packing up my old house. Did I mention that my son's socks are missing a few matching pairs? Because I'm sure those are part of the scheme as well," she added sarcastically.

Sasuke remained stationary as his gaze lingered over hers.

"If this was some pervert he would have taken my panties and bras while he was at it," she said as she walked up to him. Sasuke continued to stare at her, which was still not settling well with Sakura. It was kind of annoying actually. He was predatory, yet fiercely protective at the same time.

From outside, the once midnight blue sky was beginning to lighten, just giving off a hint of clear ice blue even before the dawn broke. Sasuke's sharp eyes could make out the faint outline of her healed scar running just along her hairline on the left. Just the thought of anyone, especially a man putting his hands on her, touching her, hurting her or just anything was enough to make him want to beat the hell out of such a man.

And that bastard that dared to touch her had left his mark. He didn't realize how entranced he had become until he was standing right before her, looking down at her equally entranced face. His hand came up and along the side of her face, tracing the scar as it went.

"He touched you…," he whispered.

The feel of his hand on her face brought back the vivid memories of the previous night. His lips marking everywhere they could, his hot skin grazing against her and his tight hold over her. She realized that this was the first time being alone with him again since that night. Her own hand came and placed itself on the side of his face, feeling the toned facial muscles that gave him that sturdy shape.

"Not the way you touch me…," she whispered. She wouldn't deny it. She was definitely afraid, for both Sora and herself. But being near the man before her was also frightening…and it was _because_ he made her feel safe. She didn't want to lose him and go through the pain again. Nothing was ever guaranteed in life, but she couldn't stay away from him. She wanted him too much.

His skin reacted to her touch and Sasuke saw how her eyes became clouded with his encroaching presence. Her eyes focused on his mouth and he could see the desire building in her movements. He wanted her so badly. Once was certainly not enough.

They gravitated towards each other until their lips met with sudden fierceness. He grabbed her hips and slammed her against him, crushing their mouths together in a hasty fit.

Sakura moaned as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him against her. His lips moved against hers with desperate need and want as they pried her soft mouth apart and assaulted her tongue. Her chest heaved for oxygen as every breath she took was shorter than the last. They moved back and hit the nearest wall, which did nothing to break their contact.

Sasuke maneuvered his excited hands down her sides, roughly cupping at her bottom and sliding her up against the wall to meet his level. Her legs parted on instinct and wrapped around his back, locking herself against her predator.

The weariness of the night had now left her body completely, leaving her with renewed energy to burn. Sasuke pressed her against the wall, using his torso to keep her up which freed his arms, allowing him to slide her t-shirt up and off her. She lurched into him just as the shirt brushed the top of her head. After tossing that aside, he became face level with her bra-covered chest.

His lips crashed onto the top of her chest, kissing his way down to her bound breasts. She threw her head back in pleasure, gasping his name and weaving her fingers into his raven hair. Sasuke wanted everything off of her, and he wanted it off now. Pulling his face away from her chest and back up to her face, he pushed off the wall and maneuvered into the downstairs bedroom, while locked in a kiss.

Sakura felt her self-control leave her with every touch of his hands on her body. He reached the foot of the bed and hastily fell on top of the sheets.

Her hands navigated their way down his back and grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulled upward. Sasuke briefly broke the kiss with a smirk, yanking the rest of his shirt above his head and tossing it away. Sakura's eyes fell in love with the sight of his well-defined upper body once more.

Sasuke surged forward, wrapping his arms around her and ravaging her mouth as his hands found their way to her bra covered breasts. His gave an impatient squeeze through the material of her bra. He released a frustrated groan when he felt the hooks in the back. His other hand slid down from her sides and under her thigh, caressing and massaging the extremity with need.

She arched her lower half against him, making him shift closer to her until there was no space in between them. She wanted him so badly, and she could feel his need as it pressed against her. Sasuke continued to kiss and ravage her mouth while making sure his hands could feel and grasp as much of her as he could. He released a guttural groan when she arched her back against him, making her pelvis grind against arousal.

Sasuke skillfully unclasped the back hooks allowing the bra fall loose and dangle over her arms. Sakura threw her head back as his lips traveled down her chest. He grabbed the center of the bra and pulled it off her arms, tossing it away from her and allowing him access to her heaving breasts. His mouth immediately found her left breast, kissing and nipping at the soft flesh as his other hand massaged the right.

Sakura's chest fluctuated with every ragged breath she took. Her hands tangled themselves into his hair as he switched sides, making her moan out his name. He kissed down between her breasts and made his way towards her belly button. His hands slid down to the waist band of her pajama bottoms, yanking them down slowly, and savoring the sight of her exposed flesh as it came. No sooner did he get the pants off that she was on him, kissing and feeling and all out fighting to keep her ground.

Her hands grabbed at his pants and pulled them down as well, managing to get them down before he grabbed her petite wrists and surged forward, making her fall back on the mattress and locking her in place with his arms on either side of her head. She was his prey, and she wouldn't over power him. He kicked off his pants, leaving him in his boxers.

He slid his hands down her sides, making her arch her back and grind her pelvis against his tightening boxers. He groaned and slammed his pelvis against hers, releasing a desperate moan from her.

"Sasuke…I'm…not-"she choked on her words as he continued to grind against her, kissing her neck and chest while his hands groped all he could. She was lost, and what's more…she wasn't protected.

Sasuke found her lips and crushed them with his own, cutting off any train of thought she had. He took the time to slip his boxers off and fling them across the room before leaning his fully naked body against her. He wasn't going to stop, and he made it clear by continuing to grind against her; her breathy moans and gasps only fueling his drive.

"Sasuke," she moaned breathlessly. His name coming from her lips did strange things to him. He wanted to hear it again. He lifted her chin up with his hand and looked her straight in the eye.

"Say that again," he demanded. Sakura let her lips linger near his ear.

"…_Sasuke," _she breathed while bringing her legs around his waist. He kissed her tenderly on neck, bringing himself at her entrance.

"_Sasuke_," she said, feeling him enter and kiss her cheek before…

"SASUKE!" she arched her back and moaned as he swiftly entered her completely and released her own name as a guttural groan. He kissed her hard, absorbing most of her moans and letting his lips linger on hers before he pulled out and thrust back in, sending her reeling.

All of his senses were focused on her; her face, her body, her heat, her scent of flowers and sex. He relished the feel of her tight heat with every thrust, watching her face contort in pleasure at his doing. Her legs tightened their hold around his waist as she looked up at his face.

Her hands slid up his arms and clasped his face. She brought him down against her waiting lips, kissing him with as much enthusiasm as she could as he thrust into her core and winding the tight bind of her release.

She lost herself in him. He made her feel so safe and secure with unrelenting passion and desire. How could such a man exist for her? Every move they made felt more intense than the last.

The room was filled with her airy gasps and his ragged breathing. Sasuke increased his pace with every turn, watching as the pleasure played out on her face. He wanted her to feel him and only him. Only he would be able to bring her such satisfaction. He felt her walls close in on him and watched as her body lurched forward in the start of her release as his name escaped her lips in contentment.

Sasuke captured her lips and absorbed her moans as he continued to thrust into her.

With one final plunge, he reached his climax and released inside her, groaning out her name. A full minute passed as they both came down from their high, relishing the feel of being together. After a moment, he leaned down and captured her lips in a slow kiss before he slumped on top of her body with his arms struggling to keep most of his weight off her. She turned her head back to face him; their breath mingling together before he leaned down and kissed her lips her again.

"No one…," he said while breathing hard. "…will ever touch you like this," he said, sliding his hands down her sides. Sakura opened her eyes and starred at his coal black eyes. All she could do was nod was bring his head down for another kiss. Possessive or not, why argue with an inevitable truth? She didn't want anyone else touching her the way he does.

"That's possessive," she whispered. He smirked and pulled out of her. She gasped a bit and felt herself being pulled into his arms as he lay next to her. She planted small kisses along his chest and neck as the blood rush to her head slowed. "Same goes for you," she said. "You are _mine_"

Sasuke's arm tightened its hold around her. The glow of the rising sun began to make its appearance, signaling the start of another day. Sakura wanted nothing more than to stay with him like this for a few more moments, but the sun waited for no one.

"Sasuke," she said quietly. "I…I…" she said as he looked down to her face. She couldn't find the words she wanted to say when his smoldering eyes bore into hers. She herself didn't know what she wanted him to know. How could she explain the depths of her affection for him?

His gaze took a questioning turn while he tried to decipher her body language. She wanted to tell him something, but couldn't; or rather, she wouldn't.

"…You won't leave…will you?" she asked while looking at his chest. She didn't know what else to say. She just needed him to know that she wanted him here with her. Sasuke lifted her chin up and made her look him in the eyes.

"That's a useless question," he said. "Where else could I be?" I can't expect you to make it on your own," he said.

"I can't understand how I came to..," she couldn't say more.

"Came to what?" he asked. He didn't see where she was going with this, and it was getting frustrating.

"Do this," she whispered. "Be here with you like this. I love it and I'm scared that something's going to go wrong,"

Sasuke grunted and pulled her in for a harsh kiss. The things he would need to do to prove that he wasn't going anywhere were piling up.

"You still talk too much," he said. "I'm not going anywhere but the shower and you're coming with me," he said while shifting off the bed and pulling her surprised body into his arms. She squealed in protest and grabbed the sheets as he walked out the room. Last time they couldn't do this…but to hell with this time. They already messed up.

"But we-"

"Already screwed up," he said while kissing her again. "Why bother," he said as he walked out into the hall and up the stairs towards the bathroom. He closed the door behind them before proceeding to show her just how much incentive he had to stay. He only had so much time before daybreak.

**30 minutes later…**

Sakura was still somewhat lightheaded as she worked in the kitchen. She made sure she was extra presentable before the kids woke up. She was wore a light blue turtle neck shirt underneath her scrub top to hide the inevitable bite marks and left her hair down. Out of habit now she wore Sasuke's necklace, which was tucked inside her scrub top. The only thing she couldn't hide was her walk, which came with a bit more swing than usual.

After three years of having the door locked then opened, it was bound to happen. And after that quick tryst in the shower, it wasn't surprising.

Sora and Suki were upstairs, brushing their teeth. Sakura continued to make breakfast and prepare for the day.

She prepared a light breakfast made of dry toast, a few slices of banana and a bowl of miso. Sora and Suki came down after a few minutes and made their way onto the stools in the kitchen. Suki had her stuffed piggy with her as well.

"Good morning my sleepy heads," she said while giving them both a kiss on their cheeks.

"Morning Mommy/Aunty Sakura," they said in unison. Sakura checked Suki's temperature with her hand and concluded that she was back to normal.

She slid their plates in front of them and placed a cup of juice next to them with some fun bendy straws she bought. Both children ate their breakfast happily. Sakura began to wash the dishes, all the while watching them eat. It was at this time that she could really appreciate their striking resemblance to each other, as well as their slight differences.

The genetics major in her started kicking in. Of course they would look alike. In every child there were both maternal and paternal features present, and more often than not, one parent's features were more dominant than the others. It all depended on which parent carried more dominating features, and children had the tendency to favor their fathers within the first years of life.

Sakura chuckled as she rinsed out the dishes. Sora and Suki's fathers were exactly that and more; dominant and strikingly similar. Both children favored their fathers, hence their resemblance to each other. In Sora's case, Sai's dark hair and sharp features clouded her own softer and lighter genes. Sai just always had to win one way or another.

But then looking at Suki, you saw another story. She was chanced with the same predominant dark hair, but her eyes fascinated Sakura. Suki's mother carried the same traits that Sakura had herself and Sasuke was a practical copy of Sai's traits. Suki carries Sasuke's sharp features, just like Sora, but by chance, she gained her mother's eyes, making her look more like a young Sakura. It was then that Sakura looked at Suki in a whole new light.

By looking into Suki's emerald irises, Sakura was able to see the possible daughter she could have had if Sora turned out to be a girl instead. It was almost as if life was showing her the definite outcome of a second baby.

But one thing was clear. She loved Suki just as much as she loved Sora. In her heart, she had two precious children. She watched as Suki munched on her toast while swinging her legs under the chair. Sora was eating his toast folded over like a half sandwich while also swinging his legs. It made both of them bounce a little as they sat there. Sakura just wanted to go over there and squish them in her arms.

"Mommy," said Sora. "Where's grandpa?" he asked. Sakura actually had to think about that for a moment before she realized that she had no idea where he was. She was THAT preoccupied with her life right now.

"I think he might have gone to work…or something," said Sakura. "He should be back sometime today. He always is," she said mostly to herself. "Did you miss him sweetie?" she asked. Sora shook his head.

"I wanted him to watch my karate," said Sora. "I wanted to show him," he said. Sakura looked at her son thoughtfully. He really did love and respect his grandfather. Sora always did have a special bond with him, ever since the first time her father laid eyes on his grandson. Sora was what stopped all the fighting.

"Well I'm sure you'll get the chance to show him later," said Sakura. "In the meantime, finish your breakfast," she said while walking over to Suki's chair and feeling her forehead. "How do you feel today sweetie?" she asked while double checking her temperature.

"I feel better," said Suki. Sakura smiled and smoothed out her short black hair. Not only did the color match Sasuke, the texture did to some degree as well. Suki's hair was a smooth as newborns with a much gentler scent.

"I'm glad to hear that," she said. "But you're going to take it easy today," she said before giving her a kiss on her chubby cheek. Sasuke entered the kitchen at that point, clad in his full business attire along with what appeared to be a briefcase. It was way too business-like for work.

"Hi Daddy," said Suki cheerfully before sipping on some juice. Sasuke came and gave her a kiss on her forehead. He felt her forehead and tried to get an assessment of her temperature. She felt fine to him.

"Hi Tenshi," he said. Sakura eyed his attire. He must have brought his own things knowing that he wasn't going to leave. The familiar twinge of him leaving made its way into her heart. Having him around really grew on her and she was more used to his presence then his absence.

"Is there some sort of meeting today?" asked Sakura.

"Yes," said Sasuke. "There's a biological engineering event that hosts a formal presentation this weekend. I have to be there," he said. Sakura nodded. She had no idea there was anything like that going on, but if must have been strictly corporate if Sasuke was going.

"Well then have some breakfast before you go," she said while making a move to get him a plate.

"It's fine, I don't have the time," he said while checking his watch. He pushed the hand swatch on the side and briefly shifted gears to his geographic grid before the clock went back to normally displaying the hours in the day.

"Daddy do you have to go?" asked Suki. Both of them turned to Suki.

"Yes I do Tenshi," he said. "I have to go to work," he said. Suki gave the slightest hint of a pout, but he saw it. So did Sakura. She went over to her purse and pulled out a hairbrush before walking over to Suki.

"Well before you go, let me comb your hair," she said while standing behind Suki's chair. "How about some nice piggy tails?" she asked. Suki face light up.

"Okay! I've never had piggy tails before!" she said excitedly.

Sakura brushed her shoulder length and incredibly baby soft hair and made two high pigtails on the sides of her head. She tied each side with her basic white hair ties that she normally used to keep her hair up during surgery. Since she had a son, she didn't have any little girl's accessories lying around the house and had to make due.

She tightened the pigtails and looked at Suki's face before smiling.

"Your little piggy Tonton inspired me," said Sakura. Suki hugged her stuffed piggy closely and giggled. Sasuke was glad to see that Suki's bubbly personality had returned.

"Why don't you at least have some coffee before you go?" said Sakura. Sasuke nodded. They spent the next ten minutes at breakfast before Sasuke and Suki got ready to leave. Sakura sighed, anticipating the day. She had to drop of Sora at Ino's house before going to work.

Her first concern…birth control and fast.

Tsunade would definitely enjoy torturing her.

* * *

**Tsunade's Office:**

Sakura remained calm on her way to work. She entered her mentor's office and closed the door. Tsunade took one look at her and made her assessment. The turtleneck was a dead giveaway, and she wasn't born yesterday.

"Let me save you some time," said Tsunade as she tossed the papers to the side and fished through her drawer. She pulled out her prescription pad and scribbled something down before tearing it off and handing it to Sakura.

"What?" said Sakura as she looked at the prescription. "How did you know I was-"

"You are NOT as subtle as you think you are," she said while leaning back against her chair and folding her arms across her chest. "I've been waiting for you to ask for days. Not the best move to ask for it _after_ you've had sex. Might be useless now for all we know," she said making Sakura stumble.

"I'm not-

"Your neck is covered in marks, which I can see regardless of your concealer, and you walk in an odd balance. I know it happened," she said. "Sasuke does not seem like the type to have flings, therefore it was unlikely that he had any condoms lying around his place, and you being just as sexually inactive for such a long period of time means that the both of you were complete idiots,"

"I couldn't help it!" said Sakura in a louder tone than she intended. She restrained herself for a moment when Tsunade raised her eyebrow. "I didn't anticipate anything other than dinner that night. But then…things were said and…it just went out of my control,"

Tsunade's interests were peaked. She leaned forward on her elbows and laced her fingers together, waiting for more detail.

"Exactly what _things_ did you say?" she asked. Sakura didn't really want to dish out what went on that night. It was something private between her and Sasuke, and for once, she didn't want everyone she knew to be all up in her business. She needed some secrets too.

"Nothing anyone but Sasuke should know," she answered. Tsunade analyzed her former apprentice carefully. There was more meaning in that statement that she let on. It was almost as if Sakura could sense the double life she didn't even know she was living.

"I hope you're not talking about your father," said Tsunade. "He's learned his lesson from last time Sakura,"

"I'm not," she said. "But I can still feel his eyes on me, even when I know he's not around," said Sakura. "Every move I make, everywhere I go, everyone I'm around is broken down in his book. It's extreme over protectiveness," she said. "I understand that he's a cop and he's seen horrible things happen to people, but I feel so suffocated sometimes. That's why Sai was so…" she stopped talking when Sai's name slipped from her lips.

"Sai was so what?" she pressed.

"He didn't analyze my every move or invade my privacy," she said. "He never lied to me. He was a straightforward tell-it-like-it-is kind of guy. He was ruder than most people, but he was different; like a breath of fresh air," she said. "He didn't try to protect me from the world. He showed me the world through his art. He was…like no one I've ever met before,"

Tsunade listened to her words and she crumbled. The things that Sakura would never know about the man she thought she knew. It was so wrong.

"But Sai is my past," Sakura continued. "I'm moving on now; Sora and I both. Sasuke is nothing like Sai," she said with a chuckle. "They're both wonderfully different. Sasuke is so…" she drifted as the blood pooled in her cheeks and her temperature rose.

"Do you feel that?" asked Tsunade. "It's your estrogen levels rising. You must really be into that man if talking about him makes you ovulate. It's like pulling the lever on a slot machine," she said making Sakura chuckle at her use of gambling terms. "I'll take that bet anytime. The whole hospital senses your pheromones floating all over the place,"

"Just how obvious were we?" asked Sakura while trying to keep her blush to a minimum.

"Very," said Tsunade "So much so that the nurses are sick with envy. By the way, you should know that all of them think you are officially Mrs. Uchiha," she said, enjoying the way Sakura's eyes widened with surprise. "Mother of Sasuke Uchiha's twins," she added, just to egg her on.

"WHAT?" she shouted while crunching the prescription in her palm. Her heart started beating with unknown adrenaline and question. Where would people come up with those extreme theories? Was that what they looked like to everyone else? And why did that thought give her a certain feeling akin to pleasure?

"Relax I was only joking…about the twins part," said Tsunade. "They really only think you're the mother of his SON," she said. "Apparently, no one here knows that he really has a daughter, which is odd, but how would they know about Sora?"

"Sasuke brought him here one day after a karate match," she said while slumping back in her seat. "I guess that's when everyone made their assumptions,"

"Can't really blame them," said Tsunade. "What would they think if the saw Sasuke and Sora together? It's an honest mistake," she said. Sakura didn't respond, but only kept her eyes wandering around the room.

"Yeah…," she said. "Why would they think he's someone else's child?" she asked quietly. It was then that she really felt like she needed to leave. "Um…I have to go to the NICU and discharge the babies," she said while standing up. "Thanks for…this," she said while trying to un-crumble the birth control prescription.

"Don't thank me just yet," said Tsunade as she pulled up her previous work. "Thank me when you confirm you're not pregnant already. Wait a few days, _if you can_, and take a pregnancy test," she ordered. Sakura just shook her head and exited the office. Tsunade sighed and picked up the file in her hand: Sai's file.

She looked at Sai's picture that was next to a bunch of old files.

"She really loved you, you know that?" she said to the picture. "You'd better be watching over her, even in death," she said.

* * *

**NICU:**

Sakura carefully placed little Kenji Hyuga on the other side of his sister. Once he was in place, Sakura pushed the baby bed down the hall to Tenten's room .She smiled down at the babies, who were blinking their eyes and waving their arms around.

"You three are the cutest widdle babies to ever be born here," she cooed "And when you grow up, you're going to have a tough time keeping the girls away. That means you Kenji," she said to the second born boy. "You seem like subtle trickster and a ladies' man. Keep it simple like Hizashi probably would," she said to the oldest triplet. He was looking up at Sakura with quiet eyes, wondering who this lady was. Sakura figured he was probably entranced by her hair color.

"Aw but you're probably going to be too into your studies like your Daddy was to notice any hopeful girls. No, you're going to only notice the one girl that captures your heart, like your Mommy did with your Daddy," she said. She could have sworn she saw the baby crack a smug smile when she said that.

"And you little sweet pea," she said to Ayame. "You're not going to have an easy time with love. Not when you have two soon to be overprotective brothers and your Daddy chasing them away. Let's not forget your cousin Sora too. He's a protector alright," she said. "But don't worry, your Mommy won't let them run your life and neither will I," she declared.

"Are you brain washing my children already?" said Neji as he stepped beside her. "Ayame is never to be near any boys until she's twenty-five," said Neji. Sakura chuckled, but when she saw Neji's steely determination, she frowned.

"You're serious…aren't you?" she asked. Neji simply nodded and looked down at his daughter, who was safely surrounded by her older brothers. "I'm twenty-five you know, and my dad is crazy protective. Look what happened. I got married at nineteen and had my baby shortly afterwards," she said, enjoying the way Neji frowned, as if contemplating that possibility for Ayame.

"It's okay Ayame," said Sakura. "Your Mommy will let you have a life," she said. She smiled when she saw the baby give her a real smile. They turned and pulled into Tenten's recovery room, where Sora was talking animatedly with her about something. Kakashi hovered near the window, reading his favorite book as usual.

"And that's where babies come from," said Tenten as she ruffled Sora's hair. Sakura and Neji stilled at the doorway.

"Coool," said Sora. He was wearing a lengthy yellow contact precaution gown along with gloves and a mask tied around his face. Sakura made sure to take extra precautions to keep the babies safe from outside radicals, hence the gowns. He turned to his mother excitedly. "Mommy, Aunty Tenten said that a big bird dropped me on your head when you were sleeping," he said with fascination. Sakura gave Tenten and wistful look while trying to contain her laughter. She would have trouble explaining to Sora that that was not how babies are made, but that could wait for a few more years.

"Well Aunty Tenten is still on heavy pain medication sweetie," she said while wheeling the babies into the room. "Look what the bird dropped off for you Tennie," she said while placing the baby lap bed on Tenten's knees. She then placed all three babies in the snuggy converter bed. Sora leaned over to peer at his new cousins.

Looking at them made Sakura remember the moment she had her baby.

_"One more…Push," said Tsunade. Sakura summoned every ounce of strength that she had and gave one big push while screaming out in pain. The next things felt was a great relief followed by the sounds of cheers. Then she saw him._

_"Like I said…It's a boy," Tsunade said while holding the freshly born baby up for her to see. Things went in slow motion from there. The sounds of their son's cries filled the room. He was quickly cleaned up and wrapped in a blanket before being placed in her arms._

_Sakura wrapped her arms around her baby for the first time and held him close to her chest. Her little boy cried like there was no tomorrow. She looked into her husband's face and they both fell in love with their child._

_"Hi baby," she said while rocking him gently in her arms. The baby slowly calmed down at the gentle motion from his mother. Slowly he opened his little eyes. Sakura was left breathless at her beautiful boy._

_"Sai," she said. "He's so beautiful," she said as she held him close. "Hi my baby," she cooed. She looked up at Sai, who was looking at the baby with lost eyes, as if he didn't know what he was looking at. Sakura had never seen him so entranced before. He was seriously having a moment. Slowly, Sai's hand reached out and touched the baby's head, as if seeing if he was real._

_"…..my…child," he said with unreadable eyes. "My son," he said. Sakura let out an exhausted chuckle as she looked at her baby, who was looking back at his father with little blinking eyes._

_"Our son," said Sakura. The baby continued to blink and coo in her arms. Then she saw something that she didn't get to see very often. Sai looked into her eyes and she saw Sai smile. He looked at their baby with so much love; it made her smile as well._

_"Our son," he repeated as he placed his hand on Sakura's flushed cheek. They stared into each other's eyes before sharing a kiss. Sai then placed a hand over his son's black head. The baby cooed against the soft rocking motion from Sakura._

_"What will we call him?" she asked. "He's so perfect," she said. Just then the baby opened his eyes and stared out beyond them. Sakura and Sai both turned around just in time to see a shooting star fly across the night's sky._

_"Sora," said Sai while tracing his fingers over the baby's soft skin. Little Sora clutched onto his father's finger with all his newborn might. They both could have sworn they saw the baby smile as well._

Having her baby was the most wonderful feeling in the world, but she sure wasn't ready for another surprise like that. After her father had taken Sora over to the school playground for the rest of the day, Sakura decided that now was as good a time as any to get down to business.

Sakura clutched the prescription pad in her pocket and walked to the pharmacy. She was used to feeling like she wasn't alone and that someone was always watching her. She had felt that way most of her life due to her father's over-protectiveness. But for whatever reason, she felt like she was even more visible to the world. It felt like most of the hospital staff was always staring at her, wondering what her deal was. Walking to the pharmacy to pick up birth control felt more like the walk of shame than anything else.

Either way, there were bound to be rumors once she handed the prescription in. There was an unspoken knowledge about hospital gossip. The source of all good gossip is spread by the nurses…but they pick up the info from the pharmacy. The pharmacy is the filter that processes the lives and secrets of the hospital staff.

Pharmacy techs had access to everyone's prescriptions. They knew who was on STD medication, depression meds, erectile dysfunction meds, hormonal supplements, prenatal vitamins, and most of all birth control pills. There were no secrets in pharmacy. If Sakura walked in there with birth control needs, people would surely make up some stupid rumor for that.

She was most fearful of a rumor that negatively affected her image with Sasuke. She might as well not even try to hide it anymore.

Sakura shook it off as being paranoid. So what if people thought she was Sasuke's wife? She didn't have to prove anything to them. If anything were to come up, she'd kick some ass before she got upset over it.

She squared her shoulders and walked into the pharmacy area. It didn't matter, so long as no one that actually talked to her knew about it. She walked up to the counter and froze when she saw someone who really shouldn't have seen her at this point; the one person who couldn't be trusted to keep a secret; Blond hair, blue eyes, and that cheeky grin.

Naruto!

Sakura gasped and quickly turned around, opting to get the pills at a later time, when he spotted her.

"Hey Sakura!" Naruto shouted. Sakura mentally cursed and rearranged her face to be as inconspicuous as possible before turning around.

"Hey Naruto…what are you doing here?" she asked. Naruto grinned from behind the counter as he held up a stack of charts.

"Too many physical therapy patients who are in need of pain meds," he said. "Seriously, no one can take a punch anymore. It's kind of pathetic. What are you doing here? Picking ups some meds?" he asked.

"NO!" she shouted. "I mean, I'm just here to look for some…vitamins for Sora," she said while walking to the many aisles stocked with meds. "It's flu season and all and he could use the boost in immunity," she said, praising the way she came up with a clever and believable story. Naruto seemed to buy it anyway.

"Oh get him those ninja anime vitamins. They're called soldier pills just like that popular anime he likes so much. The orange ones are the best! Better than those lame blue ones," he said while making a face. Sakura located those specific pills and pulled them out. She glanced at the label and actually approved of supplemental values they contained. She just might buy these for Sora.

"Thanks," said Sakura. "Sora would like the blue ones actually," she said. She knew Naruto probably rolled his eyes behind her. "Oh and maybe the pink ones for Suki," she said picking up another bottle. She didn't realize her slip until it was too late.

"Suki? Since when do you get stuff for Suki?" asked Naruto. She could feel his eye analyze her body, as If he would fine some incriminating evidence. "Unless…," he began. Sakura turned and saw his cheeky grin expand to his ears. "Oh man he cracked didn't he? That Teme," he said making Sakura blush without caution.

"Naruto!" she said. She did not think him to be this observant. Oh how she underestimated him!

"You're not here for vitamins," he said tossing the files to the side. Sakura stomped over to the counter, thankful that there were only outpatients in the lobby, who didn't even care for their conversation.

"You're not a pharmacy tech so you aren't allowed to know what I'm here for," she said while grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him down. "So just keep quiet," she said with an 'or else' tone at the end. That didn't stop Naruto from grinning at her like a fox.

"Am I going to be an Uncle again soon?" he asked while letting his eyes wander downward.

"Look below the belt and I'll deck you," she threatened in a dangerously low voice. Naruto's happy blue eyes darted back up to her face.

"So what do you really need? Prenatal vitamins?" he asked. "I can't believe I'm going to be an uncle again!" he shouted. Hinata walked in with a stunned expression and paused when she saw Naruto and Sakura.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Are you going to have a baby Sakura?" she asked seeing as how all she heard was Naruto asking if he would be an uncle again. Sakura shoved Naruto away from her. Hinata, a nurse, was the next best thing she could get.

"No Hinata, I'm not," she said. "I just need to pick up something," she said while sliding the prescription pad over. Hinata looked at the piece of paper and repressed the small blush on her face.

"Oh…ohhhhh," she said slowly. Sakura sighed. She was just as bad as Naruto.

"I'll get those for you right away," she said, taking the prescription pad and walking to the back medical shelves. Naruto snickered and kept lowering his eyes to her midsection. Sakura tried to glare, but it had no effect. She really had to pay attention to Sasuke to get a feel for its effectiveness.

"I'm not pregnant Naruto," she said. "And if you go around telling people that I am, I will make sure that you are physically incapable of impregnating Hinata,"

"This time I don't believe it," he said with that unabashed grin. "How long has that been going on?" he asked. Sakura decided not to dignify that with a response. Instead she grabbed the soldier pills in pink and blue and brought them back to the counter. She might as well buy these for the kids. It was chock full of nutrients for them, and Sora and Suki were kind of little for their age.

"I take it this was the first time," he said, watching her closely. "This is going to be fun," he added as Hinata walked back to the front of the counter with a white paper bag.

"Here you go Sakura," she said while handing her the bag.

"Thanks," said Sakura. "Can you put these vitamins on the list too and charge it through my insurance account?" she asked.

"Sure," said Hinata. She still had a small hint of a blush from her earlier embarrassment. It was hard not to be embarrassed after giving your friend birth control. "Ummm," she said while fidgeting.

"What is it?" asked Sakura. Hinata continued to fidget and glanced at the wall before looking around the room. Sakura looked too and noticed that Naruto was gone. Panic invaded her system when she realized he must have gone to pester Sasuke.

"Well I guess it's okay," said Hinata. "I just wanted to ask you something Sakura, but it's a little embarrassing and really none of my business,"

"You can trust me," said Sakura. "What is it?"

"Well…how long did you wait after you were married to have a baby?" she asked. Sakura was surprised at that question. She was expecting something more gynecological.

"Oh," said Sakura. She hesitated before answering, knowing that her response was highly embarrassing and personal. "I was nineteen when I married Sai," she admitted. "It was a long story and I didn't realize it at the time, but I was already pregnant," she said. "So I got a jump start on the pregnancy and Sora was born just three months before my first anniversary,"

"Oh…," said Hinata. Sakura sweat dropped. It was an odd and impractical romance…but then again, she was odd and impractical.

"Hinata…are you..?" she asked. Hinata immediately shook her head no. Her blush increased and she looked like she was on the verge of passing out.

"Oh no no no," said Hinata. "I'm not pregnant," she said in a sad tone. "But I just wanted to know when it would be appropriate to start trying," she said with a blush. Sakura smiled. Hinata would make a wonderful mother. She chuckled when she pictured Naruto holding a little baby. It oddly suited him in a way.

"It the right time when you both make it the right time," said Sakura. "It's nice to plan it, but I didn't have any preparation at all. But somehow I had to be ready for a baby that young," she said. "Have you talked to Naruto about it?"

"No," said Hinata. "I've wanted to, but I don't know how he'll react. We've only been married for eight months," she said. "I don't want to rush him,"

"I'm sure he won't be upset with you Hinata," said Sakura. "Naruto loves you. Just talk to him about it," she said. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Neji and Tenten's babies would it?"

"Sort of," said Hinata. "I mean looking at them makes me want to have my own baby," she said. Sakura understood her perfectly. Baby fever was always in the air when someone close to you has one…or three.

"I know what you mean," said Sakura. "Those babies are so cute it should be illegal," she said, making Hinata chuckle. "Sora's came to see them today. I had him wear a mask and gown. Can't have him near the babies after the flu scare last night," she said. "Hence the vitamins," she said while holding up the bottles.

"Who's bringing him?" asked Hinata.

"My Dad," said Sakura. "Why?" she asked. Hinata shrugged.

"No reason," she said. "I apologize in advance for anything Naruto might be telling Sasuke right now," she said. After remembering that Naruto had so cleverly escaped, Sakura grabbed her bags and bolted from the pharmacy.

* * *

**Sasuke's Office:**

Sasuke looked up when he saw Naruto walk into his office.

"What are you doing here Dobe?" he asked uncaringly as he signed some papers.

"I just ran into Sakura," he said noting the way Sasuke briefly paused his signature before proceeding.

"So?" asked Sasuke. Naruto slowly walked over and plopped himself down in the big arm chair.

"In the pharmacy," said Naruto. Again, he noticed the slight pause in Sasuke's movements before acting as if nothing had fazed him.

"Again…so?" he asked.

"Nothing really," said Naruto. "But I did notice something. She's looking a little….something," he said making Sasuke drop the pen and slowly lift his head up to meet Naruto's stare. With one look in his eye, Sasuke knew that the Dobe knew something…and he wasn't going to like it.

"She walks differently," said Naruto. That statement didn't settle well with Sasuke. To notice how she walked, he had to be looking below the hips. That was not okay with him. Naruto didn't fail to notice Sasuke's already narrowed eyes narrow even further. "And call me crazy but she's looking somewhat…rounded if you know what I mean," he said while making a waving motion with his hands.

"What the hell are you getting at?" said Sasuke, even though he knew what the Dobe was insinuating.

"You slept with her didn't you?" asked Naruto with a wicked grin. "I know you did. She wouldn't be at the pharmacy getting prenatal vitamins if you didn't," he said. "You bastard," Sasuke wanted nothing more than to punch the Dobe all the way until tomorrow, but seeing as how he didn't have his facts straight, he really couldn't.

"Get out of my office," he said while clicking away at his computer. He had better things to do that bust a vein over Naruto. Though somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered about the effectiveness of her birth control. Not like it mattered.

"So it's true!" shouted Naruto. "You really did sleep with her! Oh man if her Dad finds out you're screwed," he said. Sasuke stopped typing and gave Naruto one of the best glares he could muster. He could pick up a subtle hint of camaraderie from the way Naruto talked about Commander Hatake, though it couldn't have been anything more that Naruto's astounding ability to befriend everyone on the planet. If he could befriend someone as dark and disturbingly ominous as Gaara, then Sakura's father was no exception.

"What's the matter with you?" asked Naruto. "You're going to have a baby with her and you're not even the least bit phased?" he asked. "You better be planning on marrying her," he said threateningly. "Or I'll kill you,"

"She's not pregnant," said Sasuke. "Now get the hell out of my office Dobe," he said. Naruto just smacked his palms face down on Sasuke's sleek black desk. There was still a good amount of distance between them, but the tension was there.

"I know that you like her," said Naruto. "But I also know that you've never been in love. Sakura needs to be loved, you hear me?" he said. Sasuke stood and was about to get up and effectively punch his lights out when Sakura came through the door.

"Naruto!" she shouted. She didn't get to say much more before he decided to leave.

"And there's my signal to leave" Naruto said abruptly before darting towards the door with an incomprehensible expression on his face.

"What?" she said before the door closed on them, leaving them alone. She turned back to Sasuke, who was seated and clicking away at his computer as if nothing had ever happened. For whatever reason, his aura made her nervous. Naruto must have told him.

Sasuke opened his e-mail and read through it, well aware why Sakura was probably here. The e-mail was indeed the supposed outline of the business meeting, along with a guest invite and other information.

Sakura hovered before his desk, waiting to be acknowledged. Sasuke closed his mail and stood up facing the large glass wall that made up half his office. She sighed when she realized that Naruto had already bothered him, because he was just looking outside the floor-to-ceiling glass, staring out into the city view.

"I'm not pregnant if that's what you're worried about," she said as she walked towards him.

"It wouldn't have been considered a problem if you were," he said while turning his head ever so slightly to look at her. She sighed and looked down at her feet.

"You're just saying that," she said. "But thanks. It shouldn't be an issue now that I got…the stuff," she said. He walked towards her and lifted her chin up with his strong hand.

"It wouldn't have been a problem," he said stressing each word with finality. "You think I believe what that idiot says so easily?" he asked. "I would have better knowledge of your body than he ever would," he said, making her blush.

"You…would," she said focusing on his mouth as it hovered dangerously close to hers.

Sasuke stared at her face. What he hated about her beautiful face was the sincerity in her eyes. How could she be so naïve as to believe him? He didn't want her to trust him; He didn't deserve it. As far as he knew, he was a killer, and she was just as good as a target. He couldn't afford to get close to her now, not when his gut was telling him that she wasn't safe.

But his selfish side was pushing itself to the forefront of his mind and his body. He wanted what he didn't deserve.

His arms pulled her towards him and his lips crashed against hers. He was manipulating her; drawing the delicate blossom into the flame. It was beyond holding back now.

* * *

**Mystery Dude 2:**

He didn't know what drove him to come here. Perhaps it was the feeling he got when he saw Aya's daughter playing outside with her little friends. Or maybe it was the strange feeling he got from that little brat that stabbed his damn leg. He didn't know. All he knew was there was something strange going on with those kids.

Kabuto was certainly interested in them, but that wouldn't be an issue. As if he would let that sick bastard to anything to hurt Aya's daughter. He was disgusted with himself for even trying to go through with abducting her in December.

He watched, shrouded in the shadows of the trees as the children played outside. He envied the life of a child; so carefree and oblivious. How he wished to live such a life with the woman he loved. But life was cruel to him, as it always was. Placing that Uchiha on this planet and forcing him to lose his only love.

To add insult to injury, he now had nothing to do but watch Sasuke's offspring frolic before him. He was torn between hating his child, and loving the little girl that could have been his own. So innocent with Aya's eyes, yet tainted with the Uchiha's blood.

He watched as the other little brat sat and drew something on his little sketch pad. This child was another conundrum. He looked more like an Uchiha than the other one. Yet there was something so familiar about him; the little child with his sketch pad.

The aura in the air changed, and he knew that his presence had been detected. He saw the woman with the black hair and red eyes carefully calculate the area. Her badge read "Yuhi Kurenai". She must be an agent. There was also the green clad man with the bold hair "Rock Lee". With those names in mind, he slowly exited the premises, and disappeared into the shadows.

Kurenai kept her eyes focused on all the children, counting them all together. She had definitely felt a presence lurking about the school grounds. Even Rock Lee had signaled her about him, and swiftly went about checking the area.

Her main priority was the children, especially Kakashi's Grandson. She knew she had to report this.

* * *

**CIA Analytical Conference Room:**

Anko stood outside the conference room, waiting for him to come. She straightened out her calf length black trench coat and cleared her throat. She was actually nervous for her perverted boyfriend. The titanium door unlocked its vacuum seal and lifted itself open as he walked in. Kakashi spotted Anko and walked with her in step to the room.

"You look nervous" said Kakashi, noting her ever so slight fidgeting. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm just expecting some strange news. I've never seen that Shino guy look so on edge before…and you know what he's been working on," she said, making Kakashi pick up his pace. He knew what she was hinting at. Something had come up, and it wasn't going to be pleasant. Together they approached the guarded door, which opened allowing them entrance into the conference room.

The room was dark, large and circular in shape with a sleek round black table and about fifteen chairs surrounding it. There was a holographic screen that was used for presentation hovering just at the head of the room. There were many people in the room, which meant that this was some news. Everyone who was anyone was there.

Tsunade and Jiraya were already seated, their faces looking grave and frustrated. Asuma, Gai, Kurenai, Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino and Gaara and his siblings, Naruto and even Itachi Uchiha and Neji were all here. They were dressed in their standard agent attire: Black multi pocketed cargo pants with combat boots and white bullet proof torso vests. Most of the members present had just returned from a mission.

The murmuring quieted down as Kakashi took his seat at the head of the table. It was then that he spotted Danzo. If he was here, then it was truly serious.

"So," said Kakashi, fully aware of the delicate atmosphere in the room. "What have you found Shino?" he asked. Shino stood and walked towards the holoscreen. He stood for a moment before proceeding with his information.

"Based on the information given to me," said Shino. "I've found a link to the genetic information by comparing the unique DNA strand found at the crime scene to the database. The match I found…makes no sense what so ever," he said. "I've checked, and re-checked so many times…you will not like this," he said.

He pressed some buttons and the holographic screen displayed the DNA strand.

"This was the DNA of the attacker," said Shino. Tsunade stood after that. She needed to prepare the room before she released this info. Everyone would jump to the same conclusion regardless of how she prepped them.

"My analysis is completely accurate," she said. "Which means that this was no mistake Kakashi," she said carefully. "It's truly unknown," she said.

"Can someone just tell us who it matches already?" said Naruto. "I'm dying over here," he said. Jiraya landed and punch to his head, silencing him.

"I warn you to keep in mind that this is the only living person to have any genetic link to the blood sample" said Shino. He pressed another button and the holoscreen popped up the image that sent everyone reeling. Kakashi stood from his seat and furiously slammed his fists on the table.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THAT!" he shouted with fury radiating of his eyes. "Is this some joke? How can that be possible!" he shouted. "How can that not be a mistake!" he shouted. His eyes scanned the picture that looked to be such a mockery to him. His left eye began to throb, making him contract his ocular muscles to retrain it's affect.

Jiraya stared at the picture with hard eyes, while Naruto resisted the urge to stand up and shout. Every other member in the facility was baffled as well. They knew where this was headed, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"It can't be!" said Naruto. "There's no freaking way. Even I know what that suggests," he said.

"He did not bleed at all when they were attacked," said Tsunade. "And look at the DNA, It's only a partial genetic match to Sora!" she said while staring at the picture of the five-year-old boy on the screen.

Kakashi was livid. He shook with rage as he stared at the picture of his most beloved Grandson Sora.

"You're saying my Grandchild is somehow connected to his attacker?" he shouted. "You're saying that someone with a blood connection to Sora is the culprit?" he said. "I see what it suggests and I say that is impossible. SAI IS DEAD!" he shouted while slamming his fists on the table again and starling everyone in the room. The room was filled with Déjà vu at the infuriated Kakashi.

"That's the thing," said Tsunade. "It's only a partial match to Sai as well," she said making Kakashi look at her in confusion. "It's not the DNA of Sai or his son Sora, but it's a partial match to both of them," she said. "This culprit is genetically blood related to Sai," she said.

"That's impossible," said Danzo while stepping up. "Sai has no living blood relatives other than his own heir," he said.

"None that we have ever known of," said Tsunade. "But this DNA strand is undeniable," she said while clicking on the image and making the holographic DNA strand magnify. "I stand by my analysis of the blood sample. I operated under no bias, so I'm double sure that this information is correct,"

"Members of Root all but lose any connection with relatives, if any were remaining g at the time of recruitment. It's for their own security and dedication to their assignments" said Danzo. "Sai was recruited as a child and came with no other relatives. His origins are completely unknown, even to ANBU," he said.

"I'm well aware of your recruitment process Danzo," said Tsunade with a bitter edge. "You thrive on your agents losing any and all of their humanity," she said before giving him a smug smile. "Lucky for Sai that my Sakura was there to bring him back to life," she said, fully aware that that was probably pushing Kakashi too far. Kakashi however didn't make any notion that he heard the comment. Several others, such as Naruto, Neji and Gaara tensed.

Danzo narrowed his good eye at the robust blond woman.

Tsunade then clicked on another button and popped up another set of DNA strands. "This is Sai's DNA," she said indicated the second image. Sai's profile shot was next to the strand along with his basic profiling information. "When you look at the base pairing of the nucleotides and their almost matching similarities, it's now too close to consider the possibility of another person that does not share their genes," she said.

Kakashi kept himself in control as he listened to her information. By now, everyone in the room was on edge on this new twist to their case, and especially of Kakashi's rising blood pressure. Tsunade sighed before popping up the next picture.

"This is Sora's DNA," while uploading his image. Sora's picture was loaded next to his fathers. Everyone in the room gazed at the monitor as they saw the child of the most conflicting CIA romance ever known. Kakashi stared at his Grandson's happy little face with renewed misery.

"As you can see," said Shino, taking over the screen. "All three strands share the same nucleotide base pairings," he said. "But when you look even closer," he said while highlighting certain elements. "You can see a pattern,"

"The comparison between Sai and Sora is that of father and son," said Tsunade. "The comparison between Sai and the attacker…is _almost_ identical," she said.

"_Almost_ meaning what?" said Kakashi with blazing eyes. Tsunade looked around the room. She received many curious gazes and anticipated expressions.

"There is only one possibility that I can see," she said. "The similarity between the DNA of Sai and the attacker is the similarity seen between...," she hesitated for the briefest of moments before continuing.

"…Siblings," she finished.

A wave of gaps and murmurs erupted, followed by everyone directing their gaze at Kakashi.

"Siblings share so many genetic similarities that their DNA is almost identical," she said. "And this strand is male," she added.

"Are you telling me…the son of a bitch that tried to kill Sakura and Sora…," he said.

"Yes," said Tsunade. "He is Sai's biological brother,"

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE: **

**MYSTERY DUDE 2: Sai's long lost brother, who is a valid Naruto character that had a brief cameo in the Shippuuden episode 50, is Mystery Dude number 2. SO I KNOW THEY'RE NOT RELATED BY BLOOD, but in my story they are. Sorry if this is a letdown to some people, but I'm just glad it's out now. Lol. **

**Once Again thank you to all my readers, and my new readers who have made it this far with me. Just so you all know, I am dead busy with life and other things, but I will never discontinue this story! I WILL FINISH IT! I would never leave this story hanging. Although it takes me forever to put out a chapter, I am always working on bits and parts whenever I can. Thank you all for being so patient. Hope you like it. And now here comes the begging!**

***Holds up Sora and Suki and Hyuga babies***

***Hyuga babies glare***

***nervously puts Hyuga babies back in their cribs***

***Sora and Suki smile***

**Sora- EGG HER! **

**Suki- YEAH! **

**Me-0_0!**

**REVIEW AND SAVE ME PLEASE!**


	25. Paranoia Baby

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 25: Paranoia Baby**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**CIA Conference Room:**

Kakashi made no movements as his brain tried to process the new information. Too many thoughts were rushing through his mind all at once. His heart felt as though it was being suffocated. Of all the things this could have led to, he would have never imagined it would have come to this.

Sai…had a brother?

What kind of man had Sakura really married? What kind of Agent did he throw into his daughter's life all those years ago? And what business did he have with his family today?

What was the trigger?

That was the question on everyone's mind. The room was filled with silent wonder. A few people in particular were especially concerned.

"Exactly how does one verify the existence of relatives during recruitment into ROOT?" asked Neji. "It's not as though there wasn't any background on Sai prior to his discovery,"

"That's exactly what had occurred," said Danzo as he gathered everyone's attention. "Absolutely nothing was known of Sai or his origins upon recruitment. It was apparent that he was suffering from some form of post traumatic amnesia. In all certainty he was the perfect subject for renewal into the ROOT division,"

"So you took an innocent child and threw him into the life of an undercover government operative?" asked Tsunade. "Not only that, but one that was suffering from psychological trauma? How old was he when you found him?" she asked. Danzo gave her a smug look, enjoying her upset state.

"Same age as his boy today, roughly five-years-old," he said. The room filled with sounds of gasps and shock. There were limits upon which the CIA would set for recruiting its agents. The minimum age designated was at least twelve, with Kakashi being the rare exception at age ten, but to bring in a five-year-old into the life of the CIA?

"That's preposterous!" shouted Tsunade. "Do you realize the how great the potential for a mental relapse could have been? How could you let this happen you deranged fool!" she asked while moving to stand. Jiraya's hand stopped her from moving as he stared at Danzo.

"I should have figured as much," said Jiraya while standing up himself. "You and those ancient fossils running this organization need to get with this century. This isn't the feudal era anymore and your actions are more or less suspicious,"

"You'd do well to remember where the line ends with your authority Jiraya," said Danzo, although his tone implied the warning was for everyone in the room. "ROOT adheres to a different set of rules for very specific purposes. It does not bode well for an Agent to be…swayed," he said while staring at Tsunade.

Tsunade chest flared with air at his underlining meaning. She knew he was referring to Sakura's influence on Sai, as well as her own relationship with Jiraya. It was almost as though Danzo was toying with her. She would have responded, had the sound of a chair shuffling stopped her.

"And you Danzo," said Kakashi with a calm tone that was searing with meaning as he stood before the group. "Will do well to remember and watch of whom you speak," he said with flaming eyes. He knew that he was talking about losing his best agent to Sakura, and Kakashi would never stand for that.

Danzo simply looked at him with his good eye.

"Every rose had its thorns Kakashi," he said. Neji, Gaara, Kiba and Naruto all stood up at the remark against Sakura, ready to pounce, when Kakashi stopped them with the wave of his hand.

"Watch it Danzo," said Jiraya. "You don't exactly know who you're dealing with," he said as Danzo looked in Kakashi's direction. It was at that moment that he finally saw it. Kakashi raised his head ever so slightly, giving Danzo a glimpse of that blazing red Sharingan eye.

Danzo stepped down, for now.

"Troublesome," mumbled Shikamaru as he and the guys walked out of the conference area.

"Who does that old bastard think he is?" said Naruto as the meeting group disbanded. "He gives me the creeps," he said as they walked around the training area.

"He threatened Kakashi," said Gaara. "His words hold hostility towards Sakura," he said. Neji nodded in agreement.

"It's true that he holds a grudge against Sakura because of Sai," said Neji. "But the main focus here is apparently Sai's so called brother," he said. "This was no random act of burglary, that much is confirmed now,"

"Sakura needs heightened security at all times," said Gaara. Naruto nodded in agreement.

"She sure does," said Naruto. "I'll bet Kakashi's already on it. You know she's good at the hospital with the five of us there, minus Tenten of course," he said. "She's good until she goes home,"

"Then there's Sora," said Neji. "Kurenai and Lee are patrolling him there and Kakashi's around the house most of the time. Asuma is guarding Sakura on the streets as she drives,"

"And Kiba's covering their neighborhood at night," said Kakashi as he suddenly walked into their line of vision with Jiraya right behind him "So longs as they're never alone they should be fine," he added. The three agents turned towards their Commander, carefully trying to get a read on his emotions. He left with Anko quickly after the meeting. His left eye was back to normal, meaning that she must have calmed him down somewhat.

"Don't worry Kakashi Sensei," said Naruto. "No one's going to get to them while we're around," he said. "I'll kick some ass before that happens. Believe it," he said. Neji nodded.

"You know we'll always be on guard Kakashi," Neji reassured.

"Keep in mind there's more to watch out for than just this criminal," said Gaara. "You know of whom I speak," he said. Neji tensed while Kakashi simply nodded. Naruto was out of the loop.

"Who?" asked Naruto.

"Uchiha Sasuke," said Gaara. "I don't trust him, or his relationship with Sakura," he said. Shikamaru who at this point was just simply listening was interested at this piece of news. He gave a sideways glance at Gaara, trying to assess the meaning.

"Hey come on," said Naruto. "What's Sasuke got to do with any of this? If anything, _it's better_ for her to be around him in her spare time," he said. "Sasuke's no push over, especially when it comes to her. I've seen it myself," he said while thinking back to how much he had changed since he met her. "He's got years of fight skills just pent up inside him,"

"We don't know anything about him," said Gaara. "And don't forget the incident at the hotel. His child was just as involved. We can't forget anything,"

"Well _I_ know him," said Naruto. "And so do you guys," he said glancing in Neji's and Shikamaru's direction. "He may come off as a bastard, but he's a good guy. Just trust me on this one. She's in good hands," he said. Kakashi mumbled something about how he'd rather not have her in anyone's hands, but it went unnoticed by Naruto.

"If anything, I can agree with Naruto on Sasuke's athleticism," said Neji. "He is quite formidable in hand to hand combat, not to mention he's got a tacticians mindset,"

"It sounds like a lot to come from an ordinary civilian," Gaara pointed out.

"It is, but he _is_ Sasuke of the legendary Uchiha clan" said Shikamaru. "Even if he doesn't realize his true lineage, he's still got the potential,"

"He's an Uchiha," said Kakashi. "That's a long line of military power that's been passed down to him. Itachi certainly benefitted from it. It's actually a shame Sasuke wasn't discovered sooner. He has great potential as a fighter," he said. Naruto and Neji looked thoughtful, wondering why they never thought about that possibility before. If he was properly trained, Sasuke surely would have been a great asset to the CIA.

"It's a bit strange that no one thought to recruit him into the CIA, though I wouldn't have cared much to train him" said Jiraya. "He may be skilled, but training a supposed genius isn't that exciting for a teacher. That's why training a knuckle head like you was a better alternative," he said while ruffling Naruto's hair like a child.

"Yeah because a pervy old sage is the perfect choice for a mentor," he said while earning a smack on his head.

Kakashi sighed as he thought about Sakura and what she might be doing right now.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Sakura found a place to park and got out of her car, dressed in her light blue scrubs. She had just gotten off of work and was looking forward to picking up Sora and making him a good dinner. Her little mighty man needed more protein, but at the same time she wanted him to retain his babyish roundness a while longer. She carefully crossed the street and entered the school grounds, where she spotted Ino and the twins walking in her direction.

"Hey Sakura," said Ino. The twins waved at her.

"Hey Ino," she said. "Have you seen Sora?"

"He's coming out with Kurenai," she said. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Is Sora in trouble? Did he get hurt?" she asked.

"I don't know. Well there they are," she said as she pointed to Sora and Kurenai walking down the steps over to them. Sora was carrying a folder stuffed with what appeared to be drawings. Kurenai was even holding his hand.

Sakura walked over and met them half way in the courtyard.

"Hi Mommy," said Sora. Sakura smiled at him.

"You must be Dr. Haruno," said Kurenai. "It's nice to finally meet you," she said while extending her other hand. Sakura shook it politely.

"Just Sakura," she said. "And it's nice to meet you too. But I have to ask, is there anything wrong with Sora?"

"Oh no," said Kurenai. "Sora is perfectly fine. He's not in trouble. I just wanted to talk to you, as well as all the other parents about our upcoming career day here at the school. Sora mentioned that you're a doctor and I wanted to know if you would be willing to come and speak to the children about it," she said.

"Oh," said Sakura. "Career day huh? Kind of early in life for that don't you think?" she said. "Well it sounds fun. When would this be?"

"Next week on Friday, "said Kurenai "There's also a district wide festival being held later in the evening with games and all kinds of things for the kids to do," she said. "I understand if you can't make it. You must have a very busy schedule," she said. Sakura shook her head.

"I can come. I'll just bring my pager and go if I'm absolutely needed," she said while analyzing Kurenai more closely. Oh she wouldn't be the best Obstetrician in the country if she didn't notice Kurenai's current state.

"If you don't mind me asking, how far along are you?" she asked. Kurenai just looked at her questioningly.

"I don't really quite know what you mean by that," said Kurenai, who was completely at a loss. "Far along in what?" she asked. Sakura raised her eyebrow and a blush of embarrassment. She didn't know. She must be early.

"Oh I'm sorry," said Sakura sheepishly. "I'm just incredibly nosy and I can't help myself. You should probably take a test, but to my knowledge Kurenai sensei, you're pregnant,"

…From the nearby black escalade parked around the school, Asuma abruptly choked on his cigarette and was now coughing up a storm. He was listening through Kurenai's communicator and had heard their whole conversation…not to mention the monitors back at the station would also know by now.

He was going to be a father!

"Eh w-w-what do y-you mean?" said Kurenai. "Pregnant?" she asked while dropping Sora's hand out of shock.

"I'm pretty sure you're pregnant. You have all the physical indicators significant to early gestation. Tell me, have you been experiencing and nausea? Vomiting? Fatigue? Change in appetite? Heightened senses? Missed cycles?" she asked. Kurenai continued to stutter as she mentally checked marked yes to all those questions. She really was pregnant!

"Oh…my," said Kurenai with a spectacular blush on her face.

"Oh I'm sorry to have shocked you like that, but I really thought you knew," said Sakura. At that moment, Ino came flying over and practically dragged the twins along when she got wind of the conversation.

"REALLY KURENAI?" she shouted with excitement in her eye. "That's fantastic news! I always knew you'd get knocked up within the year!" she said while literally bouncing on her toes. Sakura stood there wondering why Ino was so excited about Kurenai Sensei's pregnancy. It's not like they were friends or anything, at least not to her knowledge.

"I…I….what?" said Kurenai, who was still in a state of shock.

"I bet the FATHER is going to flip!" she shouted at her chest. Kurenai seemed to realize that gesture and panicked even more, which Sakura thought was odd. Ino wanted to make sure her former sensei heard that loud and clear in the car he was hiding in.

"Jeez Ino, don't make the baby go deaf," said Sakura. "Anyway Kurenai Sensei, you should come and see me at the hospital, once you take an official test of course," she said while handing her one of her business cards. "I apologize again for my nosiness. And I'll definitely make it for career day,"

Sakura, Ino and the kids walked back to their cars, leaving a frozen Kurenai in the middle of the court yard.

"I never knew you and Kurenai were such good pals," said Sakura. "When did that happen?" she asked, snapping Ino out of her happy place.

"Well it's pretty damn obvious when the father himself is special ordering flowers from my parents flower shop to be delivered here," Ino replied "I can tell just by the arrangements he sends her that he's in love. It's no surprise that Kurenai's pregnant when Asuma's romancing her with flowers of love," she said.

"Wait a minute, who did you say the father was?" she asked. Ino thought about it for a minute, trying to mold a story on the spot. It's not like Sakura would know anyway.

"Are you talking about Sarutobi Asuma? As in the cop? As in my dad's close friend whom I haven't seen in years Asuma?" asked Sakura. Ino blinked. So Sakura did remember Asuma from her childhood. She was sharp.

"Er...yeah. I didn't know he was your Dad's friend," said Ino. "Talk about an ever smaller world," she said.

"No way," said Sakura. "This is so weird. I'm running into people I know everywhere," she said. "Who will I run into next?"

"Well since we're on the subject of babies," said Ino. "What's the deal with you? Got a little something baking in the oven yet?" she asked. Sakura rolled her eyes. Sora looked up at Sakura questioningly.

"Are you making cookies today Mommy?" he asked. Ino's baking comment confused him.

"No sweetheart," said Sakura. "Aunty Ino is talking crazy again," she said while glaring at Ino, who was not phased in the least bit. She seemed quite eager to finally get the scoop on her relationship with Sasuke. Sakura didn't even know how she managed to dodge that conversation for this long.

"Come to my place for dinner tomorrow night," said Ino. "I'll call Hinata and Naruto over too. We can have a nice little talk that you are not going to get away from," she said. "Anyway, we've got dance class to get too," she said while leaving with the twins. Sakura sighed.

"Are those your drawings?" she asked as she glanced at the stuffed folder.

"Uh huh," said Sora as he handed her the folder. "Kurenai Sensei say's I'm the best artist in the whole class," he said proudly.

"Your drawings are so amazing Sora," said Sakura as she flipped through them. "You're so talented you know that? You really are your Daddy's son," she said, earning an adorable smile from him.

"What kind of stuff did Daddy draw?" asked Sora.

"All kinds of stuff," said Sakura. "He drew people, and animals, and beautiful sceneries. He even drew you and me a couple of times," she said. "He could draw and paint anything he wanted,"

"Really? Cool," he said. "Can I see them Mommy?" he asked. Sakura smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Of course you can sweetie. I'll find them as soon as we go home," she said. "But in the meantime, how about some ice cream?" she asked. "I don't know about you, but I could go for a sundae right about now,"

"Okay! I love ice cream," said Sora. "But can I have some tomatoes too Mommy?" he asked. Sakura chuckled. What had Sasuke done to her child? He's a tomato addict now.

"Only because you're cute," said Sakura as they entered their car.

They drove to the shopping district and walked over to a big water fountain in the middle of the plaza. A local ice cream vendor was there by the fountain. Sora ordered a single scoop of chocolate whereas Sakura decided to go for a healthier frozen fruit bar.

She couldn't help but think about both Tsunade and Naruto's assumptions about her being pregnant, which made her a bit self-conscious about her midsection. And she thought she had done a pretty good job about keeping it flat. She sighed as they both took a seat around the water fountain and enjoyed their frozen treats. Sakura decided to flip through more of Sora's drawings.

"Is that Sasuke?" she asked pointing to the picture of a ninja style character spitting out fire balls. Sora nodded, causing some of the ice cream to drip onto his shirt. Sakura quickly wiped it away with a napkin to prevent seepage.

"If he was a ninja," said Sora. "Sasuke says he can fight like a ninja. He said he could beat up Uncle Naruto any day," said Sora, making Sakura chuckle.

"Well I don't know," said Sakura teasingly "Uncle Naruto seems like he could put up a good fight," said Sakura. "He never gives up," she added. Sora shook his head rigorously, ready to defend Sasuke.

"Nuh uh," said Sora. "Sasuke said he always used to beat up uncle Naruto because he's a Dobe," said Sora.

"Uncle Naruto is not a Dobe," said Sakura. "He's Sasuke's best friend. Just like you and Akio. I'd say they're more like brothers," she added thoughtfully.

"Who's your best friend Mommy?" he asked. Sakura smiled.

"You are," she said while kissing his cheek.

"Mommy," said Sora with an embarrassed tone.

"Well I have a lot of best friends," she said. "There's Aunty Ino, and Tenten and Uncle Neji and Hinata, and Temari and Uncle Gaara," she said. "I have lots of them,"

"What about Sasuke? Is he your friend too?" he asked. Sakura nearly choked on her fruit bar and tried to cough it off inconspicuously. She looked down at Sora, who was licking his ice cream and staring pointedly at her.

"Well…he's uh…he's more like…um," she didn't really know what to tell him. If she said boyfriend, Sora would just pry even further. "Yes, he's my friend too," she said. It was true in a sense. He was an incredibly sexy friend she just happens to be sleeping with.

Sora was satisfied enough with that answer anyway. He just went back to licking his ice cream cone and swinging his little legs off the fountains edge. Sakura continued to flip through his stack of drawings. It was just like when she would flip through Sai's sketches. One particular drawing caught her eye.

"Who's this?" she asked as she held up the drawing of a white haired masked figure.

"Nobody," said Sora. "He's just a ninja," he said. Sakura looked at it more closely.

"It's very good," she said eyeing the drawing. "Were you thinking of Grandpa when you made this?" she asked. "He has a tattoo on that same arm," she said while looking at the strange mark he had drawn.

"No," said Sora. "It just looks cool," he said. Sakura shrugged and just placed it back on top of the stack. She checked the time on her watch and decided that it was time to go home and start dinner, although she had probably just spoiled their appetites with the ice cream. She at least had to cook for her father if he was going to drop by.

They finished their ice cream quickly before driving back home.

Kakashi was already there, sitting on the couch and reading his book. He released a manly giggle as he turned the page.

"Grandpa!" shouted Sora as he raced into the house. Kakashi slammed his book shut and tossed it over his shoulder just in time to catch his flying Grandson. Kakashi tossed him in the air playfully as the rest of the dogs raced to greet Sakura at the door.

"When did you get home Daddy?" asked Sakura as she pet their heads and smiled at Sora's giggles.

"I've been here for a while," said Kakashi. "I got an interesting call from your Uncle Asuma. You remember him?" he asked. Sakura chuckled.

"Yes I do," she said. "And I can guess why he called too, since I ran into a Sora's teacher this afternoon. They're going to have a baby,"

"And apparently you were the one who figured it out," said Kakashi as Sora climbed onto his back. "That was an interesting call. I assume you'll be her doctor then?" he asked.

"I gave her my card. I say she'll be due in November, which is usually the biggest time of the year for babies to be born," she said.

"Why's that?" asked Kakashi.

"Because nine months prior to that is Valentine's Day madness; time for the most conception," she said. Kakashi chuckled.

"Speaking of babies…," said Kakashi, making Sakura freeze on the spot. "How are the Hyuga triplets doing?" he asked, noticing the way she suddenly stopped moving, before relaxing.

"Oh," said Sakura. For a minute there she actually thought her father was referring to her.

Talk about paranoia.

"They're all doing great. I'm going to discharge them tomorrow. Neji and Tenten can finally go home, although Tenten is still going to be out of commission for at least three months," she said. "Can't have her near any dangerous objects anytime soon," she said while trying to ease the paranoia out of her system.

Kakashi mentally agreed. Ever since Tenten became pregnant, she was out of commission for the CIA as well. They made due with her expertise on advanced weaponry and machinery while keeping her out of actual combat. Neji would definitely not allow her to come back into combat as it is.

Kakashi tried to release all the strain of the day and just simply resolve himself to playing with Sora for the rest of the night. The news about Sai had taken its toll on him. There was not much he could do but keep close to Sakura and Sora until further information is discovered.

* * *

**Next Day:**

Sakura stepped out of the NICU and removed her protective gown. Business was pretty slow at the moment, which was a great thing in the hospital. It meant more healthy babies that didn't need medical care.

She removed her mask and gloves and discarded those as well before walked back over to her office. Along the way, she couldn't help but remember all the stares she was receiving, or the whispers that followed her throughout the day.

_"…actually married to him…,"_

_"Yeah…that's his wife…,"_

_"…damn her…"_

_"…have a little boy…looks just like Mr. Uch..,"_

_"I heard it was a girl…,"_

_"…at least five years old…,"_

_"…saw him myself. A little Sasuke…,"_

_"…wish I got to bed him every night…,"_

_"…hear she's pregnant again…,"_

_"Che…explains the weight gain,"_

_"…saw her at the store with their son…,"_

_"Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha?"_

That last one really stuck to her. She hadn't seen much of Sasuke since their last meeting, and as much as she missed him, she was going to try to keep her space. At least until she had time to process their new atmosphere.

But it was becoming increasingly difficult to be away from him. With every rumor came the strong desire to see him again. She was most content when she found herself in his strong arms, laying her head on his chest and just being with him. And she still knew so little about him. It was really quite amazing, or rather, he was amazing.

…In his own way of course.

She opened the door to her office, just in time to hear her desk phone ringing. She plopped herself onto her cushy arm chair and pressed the speaker phone.

"Doctor Haruno speaking," she said as she kicked her shoes off and wiggled her toes in the air.

"…You're avoiding me…," came his deliciously masculine and sexy voice. Sakura nearly slipped off her chair at the sound of his slightly bothered tone. She took a breath to compose herself.

"I am not," she said while sitting up straight and folding her arms on top of her desk. "I'm just busy," she lied. "Weren't you always busy before you met me?"

"Since the day I met you, my work load has doubled," he said. "And I know you're not busy. The NICU census is at an all-time monthly low since the Hyuga triplets are counted as discharged already,"

"Well I have my expectant mothers as well as the pediatrics unit to maintain," she said. "Saving lives is a 24 hour job," she said.

"Hn," he said. Sakura tried to imagine what he'd be doing at this very moment. Probably sitting in his big black leather arm chair and skimming over files like he usually does. "There's a conference being held at the Leaf Hotel two weeks from today in regards to innovated technologies in bioengineering," he said. "We need to check in by 5:00PM," he said.

"…We?" said Sakura. "I didn't know I was going,"

"You are," said Sasuke with absolute finality.

"As a doctor or as your date?" she asked while playing with her circle necklace. "Because I don't see how I have a role in this conference, and I certainly wasn't _asked_ to go," she said. She imagined that he'd be rolling his eyes in annoyance, which is what he did.

"It was necessary to make the arrangements without your regard," he said. "Unless you'd like to personally tell me otherwise," he said. She could practically feel his smirk through the phone.

"I would love to but unfortunately I have to go to the grocery store and pick up some more organic tomatoes for my little boy at home, who seems to have picked up and obsessive taste for lycopene" she said.

"Hn," he said. "Smart boy,"

"He gets it from his mother," she said. "And I'd rather not take my child to another hotel anytime soon," she said while remembering the event in December.

"It's not a family affair," he said. "It's a business venture. These supposed technologies are strictly designed for the study of regeneration of tissues. It's recommended to bring the leading physician in each department for input and analysis,"

"Well then I hope you have a great time with Tsunade Sama," she said as she fiddled with her circle pendant with a smile. "You'll make a lovely pair," she said. She heard him sigh.

"You will come to this event," he said.

"I believe you may have to…make me," said Sakura. She was luring him here, and she couldn't stop herself. She never realized that she could be so flirtatious. It was quiet on the other end for what felt like eternity.

"…I will," he said before hanging up. Sakura was doused with a wave of shivers before hitting the off button on her phone. She jumped when it suddenly rang again. Tentatively, she pressed the speaker button.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hey Sak," came Tenten's voice. "We're about to leave the hospital. Come see us off?" she asked. Sakura smiled.

"Tell my god-babies that I'm on the way," she said. She grabbed her white coat and exited her office. She went by Tenten's room and found them, with the babies, all packed and ready to go home for the first time since their birth.

"It's so hard to let go," said Sakura with mockery sadness. "You and Neji are all grown up now," she said as she placed her hand on Tenten's shoulder.

"Yeah yeah," said Tenten. "Enough water works, let's get outta here," she said. "Being a patient doesn't suit me very well," she said. Neji handed her the boys, whom she held gingerly in each arm, while Sakura picked up baby Ayame and held her close. Neji got behind Tenten and pushed the wheelchair out of the room and out the hall.

Again, they received many stares, but Sakura was unaware of whether it was because of the babies, or her. Lately her hearing has become super sensitive, although she could have attributed this to sheer paranoia. She did manage to pick up some snippets of conversation along the way.

"…got baby on the brain I suppose…,"

"…can't stand it…,"

"…she really pregn…"

"…hear they have sex in his office…,"

Sakura unconsciously walked a bit faster. She hated this. She hated being the center of mindless gossip. She had a reputation as a healthcare professional and it was slowly but surely being tainted as the hospital whore. She pushed those thoughts back and focused on the babies.

"So are you guys all set up at home?" asked Sakura while blowing kisses to a sleepy Ayame.

"Oh yeah," said Tenten. "It's all set up. We should be fine," she said while thinking of their real arrangements. As part of the CIA protocol, if two Agents were to ever have a child between them, then it was mandatory that the parents and child reside within the CIA headquarters for at least three months as a security precaution. There was nothing more vulnerable than new parents with a baby as their greatest collateral.

"Good," said Sakura while cuddling the baby. "You're going to go home today sweetie, yes you are," she said. "And then in a few years' time you'll go to school and make friends and then you'll have your first boyfriend," she said. Neji's mood darkened at the last statement.

"Hey Sasuke," said Tenten as they came to a halt. Sakura froze and stepped slightly behind Neji. Sasuke noticed of course.

"I have a car waiting outside for you," said Sasuke as he took in the sight. It was really the first time he ever really got a look at the new Hyugas. Watching Neji and Tenten with three new babies was very strange. To think that that Hyuga bastard was now a father of three was just weird. Then there was his elusive girlfriend hiding behind them for whatever reason with a pink little bundle in her arms.

He never realized how fitting it was to have her holding a baby. It suited her well.

The sound of hurried footsteps caught their attention. They barely made out a green blur before Rock Lee's figure stood before them.

"I am pleased to see that I am not too late," said Lee. "I have come to see you all off," he said. "As godfather, it is my duty to make sure you are well taken care of in this crucial peri-natal period" he said. He then caught sight of Sakura hiding behind Neji, and his eyes light up.

"Oh Miss Sakura," said Lee. "I didn't not see you there, but how fitting that we should meet here together. You and me, seeing out godchildren away," he said with near tears in his eyes. "How should I be so lucky?" he squealed. He was too joyous to notice Sasuke's irritated aura.

"Perfect timing Lee," said Tenten. "Now you can help us take Ayame downstairs. I know Sakura's _very_ busy," she said with the hint of a smirk on her face. Sakura internally gasped and looked back and forth between Sasuke and Tenten. This was a set up! All so that she would be stuck talking to him! Oh how she burned on the inside.

"It would be my honor," said Lee as he took the baby from Sakura's arms. Sakura surrendered her unwillingly and refused to meet Sasuke's gaze.

"See you guys later," said Tenten as Neji wheeled her away. They vaguely heard Neji threaten Lee about the consequences of dropping Ayame in his excitement, before they disappeared around the corner. The moment they left, Sasuke approached her, barely keeping more than a foot of space between them.

The murmurs from surrounding workers and nurses quitted down, trying to listen into their conversation.

"How did you get Tenten to play along?" she asked uncaringly while focusing on his shoulder.

"By giving her my collector's edition Shuriken as a belated baby shower gift," he said. Sakura raised an eyebrow. Weaponry was not a baby shower gift.

"So much for baby proofing _that _house," she said. She finally met his gaze, slightly taken aback by intensity of his black orbs. He was such a gorgeous man. There wasn't much more she could say about him physically.

They stayed locked onto each other's eyes for what seemed like an entire minute before he moved.

He took a step forward, making her take one back. This continued discreetly until they were around the corner and away from the nurse's venomous glances. Sakura practically backed into her office door as he pushed it open behind her and almost slammed it shut after himself.

He waited till the door clicked shut before pulling her against him and capturing her lips in a smoldering kiss.

Sakura kissed back and moaned as she crushed herself against him. Sasuke moved his hands up to her shoulders and slid the white coat off. Sakura released her hands which made the coat slip off into the floor and leaving her in her light blue scrubs. She immediately wrapped her fingers into his hair as he pushed her back onto her desk and kissed her deeper.

Sakura moaned again when his tongue clashed with hers.

"How long…," he said between attacks on her lips "…did u think…you could hide?" he asked, moving his hands south to her ass and grabbing it with a vengeance. Sakura gasped and threw her head back against her desk, vaguely aware that her papers and picture frames were falling off the edge and onto the carpeted floor.

"Longer…than this," she choked as his lips slid down her cheeks to her neck. His hands moved up, tracing the contours of her abdomen before moving to her chest. Sakura could feel the heat of his hands between the thin layers of her hospital scrubs.

This was so typical of her body. It reacted instantly upon his every touch. Sasuke worked to move his lips across as much of her body surface as he could before he had to call it quits. He only had so much time.

Sasuke covered her mouth with his once more and pulled her up against his chest as he brought her back to a sitting position. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck, desperate to keep their kiss intact.

Slowly, they stopped and barely pulled apart with heavy breaths.

Sakura found herself sitting on the very edge of her desk, arms and legs haphazardly tangled around her very dark, very strong, very sneaky boyfriend.

Sasuke leaned in and kissed her with more care this time, relishing the taste of her. It wasn't so much her absence that bothered him as it was her determination to extend that absence for whatever reason she could come up with. He didn't want to be clingy, because he was an Uchiha and hell would freeze over before he became clingy.

Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair as her nails gently scraped at his scalp, sending a pleasant sensation down to his neck and back. Sasuke's grip on her tightened in reflex as the tingly feeling traveled down his spine. He moved his lips along the side of her face as she continued to play with his hair.

"How's…Suki," she said, closing her eyes as his lips traced her face.

"Fine," said Sasuke, who was more interested in her ear at this point. Sakura chuckled as leaned back to see his face.

"I bought some vitamins for her; chewable vitamins C and other nutrients," she said. "She should take one a day," she said. Sasuke brought his hand up to her face and pulled her in for another kiss.

"Hn," he said. He added more intensity into the kiss and it wasn't long before he could sense the longing in her body. He felt it as well, and knew that he needed to get away before he ended up taking her on her own desk in the middle of a work day. Perhaps if this was his office in the secluded top floor of the building where no one could hear them, but it wasn't. This was the maternity ward.

"Meeting is Saturday night," he said. "You will be there," he said gazing into her eyes. Sakura simply nodded eyes too cloudy with lust. Sasuke smirked and kissed her again with intent laced in between. "After that…," he said while pulling away from her hazy form. "You're mine," he said.

"You can't hide from me," he added. "I'll always know how to find you," he said with a certain tone that Sakura just couldn't quite put her finger on. It was almost like a warning.

He straightened up and hovered by the door. He kept his eyes on her lustrous form and concentrated on the echoes coming from the hall outside. When he concluded that there was no one roaming the halls within the second, he exited her office.

The sound of the door closing snapped her out of her hormonal rage. Sakura took two deep breaths, adjusted her clothes and hopped off the desk, only to be filled with frustration when she realized that she had been cornered, attacked, manipulated, and submissive all at the same time. He MADE her, and it pissed her off.

"Dammit," she said while kicking the papers on the floor. She cursed again, picking up her coat and putting it on before getting the important files and everything else that had fallen off the desk. Not only did he leave her unsatisfied, he left her a mess as well. Sakura had barely managed to stack the papers on her desk when the door opened once more.

Sakura was about to turn around and yell at Sasuke, before she caught sight of who was at the door.

Tsunade held the door open with a composed face and assessed the scene. Messy desk, pictures on the floor, Sakura frozen in mid step with a flushed face with a disheveled appearance…Sasuke was here.

"Can I help you Tsunade Sama?" asked Sakura with an exasperated tone. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with. Tsunade merely remained standing at the doorway, observing her apprentice in many ways. She sighed and fished for something in her pocket.

"Here," she said as she pulled out a slender lavender colored box and tossed it in Sakura's direction. Sakura caught the box and sighed at the home pregnancy test in her hands. "Just a precaution," she said.

"No," said Sakura. "I know when I'm pregnant and I don't need a test to tell me so," she said. Tsunade sighed and closed the door.

"Think of it this way," said Tsunade "Your annual physical exam is coming up soon and you should just get this step out of the way since you are active this year. For the love of poker chips, he's jumping you in your office Sakura. Have you really lost this much control?" she asked.

"No one's more frustrated about that than me, " she huffed.

"Take the test. I'm not letting you skip it," said Tsunade. Sakura held back a frustrated groan and followed her out to the nearest restroom.

**…..**

Sakura washed her hands as the pregnancy test was left near the sink, waiting for the results. She rinsed them clean and wiped with a towel before looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her breasts weren't any bigger than usual. Her skin tone was the same, body temperature was normal and her diet hadn't changed at all. Her last period was a healthy two weeks ago, and now that she was on birth control, she wouldn't have to be as suspicious.

Tsunade walked into the restroom at that point.

"Well?" she asked. Sakura picked up the stick and examined the results. She froze as her eyes bugged out and she gapped at Tsunade, who was beginning to widen her eyes as well.

"I…I'm pregnant!" said Sakura. "Oh my God!"

"You are?" said Tsunade with as much surprise in her voice. She moved to grab the stick.

"No," said Sakura while giving off a slight chuckle. "It's negative, like I said it would be," she said while showing her the negative sign. Tsunade grabbed the stick from her hand and then glared at Sakura when she saw the negative sign.

"What? I deserve some fun after everyone staring at my belly for the past few days," she said while chuckling.

"That's not funny you silly girl," said Tsunade. She tossed the stick into the trash bin and washed her hands furiously before she walked out of the bathroom, closely followed by a still chuckling Sakura.

"I'm sorry I'm not having a child out of wedlock," she said sarcastically. "Forgive me for knowing my own body through and through," she said. Tsunade just huffed and continued walking.

"Well now you're free to have all the sex you want," said Tsunade making Sakura blush.

"Yes I can," said Sakura. "But that's beside the point. We're you hoping for another Grandchild?" she asked. Tsunade huffed and proceeded to ignore her 'daughter', hiding the fact that a small part of her was truly sad that she would not be a Grandma again anytime soon.

Not that she would ever tell anyone of her secret Grandchildren desires.

Sakura's chuckles continued for the rest of the day. In the end she was glad she took the test because now she had something to laugh about.

* * *

**Sasuke's house:**

Sasuke sat in the living room with a pile of papers in his lap. That meeting was coming up soon, and he needed to make the right arrangements if he wanted to get there on time. It wasn't so much for the conferences sake rather than his need to be thorough.

The sound of angelic humming filled the room as Suki hummed the tune to the new "Gake no ue Ponyo" movie.

Suki was happily sitting on the floor before Sasuke and drawing with crayons on a stack of papers on the coffee table. Mikoto had left a few minutes ago after Sasuke and Suki had eaten their dinner and Suki had gotten her bath. It was nearing 8:00 PM when Suki put down her crayons and walked over to her father.

"Look Daddy," she said as she held up the drawing of a pink haired girl in a pink fluffy dress. "It's Aunty Sakura. I made her a princess," she said. Sasuke eyed the drawing and smirked at her picture.

"That's good Tenshi. Sakura will like that," he said.

"Daddy," said Suki. "How come I can't stay with Aunty Sakura tomorrow?" she asked pouting. Sasuke had told her before that she would be staying with her Uncle Naruto and Aunty Hinata while he was away tomorrow. Suki complained why she couldn't stay with Sakura.

"Sora will stay with Uncle Naruto as well," he said. "Sakura is coming with me to the meeting," Suki walked up to him and stood next to his chair.

"How come?" she asked with her hands on the arm of the chair.

"Because she has too," he said while flipping his file.

"How come?" she asked.

"Because she's a doctor," he said.

"How come?" she asked again. Sasuke put his papers down and looked at her.

"How come you're not in bed?" he asked as he scooped her up and began walking towards the stairs. Suki giggled a bit before the yawning started.

"I'm not…(yawn)…sleepy," she said while rubbing her eye. Sasuke picked up her drawings and laid them on the table as they passed by.

"Yes you are," he said as he climbed the stairs.

"No I'm not…(Yawn)," she said as her head plopped on his shoulder.

"Yes you are," he said as he opened the door to her room. Suki barely mumbled a word before she was out for the night. Sasuke tucked her into bed and laid her stuffed piggy next to her before kissing her cheek and turning on her nightlight. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket as he closed the door to Suki's room. He checked the caller ID: Sakura

"Anything wrong?" he asked. He heard her sigh.

"_Normal people say "hello" you know,"_ she said.

"Hn," he said before he heard another sigh.

"_Has Suki gone to bed?"_ she asked.

"Yes," said Sasuke.

"_What did she eat for dinner?"_ she asked.

"Grilled fish and stir-fry," he said. "And the vitamins that you gave her,"

"_That's good,"_ she said with a chuckle. _"I assume you've been taking care of yourself as well,"_ she said. _"I don't need to do another physical on you do I?"_ she asked. Sasuke smirked.

"Do I need to get physical on you?" he asked before he mentally stopped and wondered when the hell be began saying crap like that.

"_Perv,"_ she said while fighting the blush pool_. "I never would have thought you to be the taunting type. Leaving me in my office and now playing with words over the phone…you're quite the romantic," _she said sarcastically.

"Hn," he said.

"_Did the school mention anything about a career day?"_ she asked. _"Kurenai Sensei talked to me about it today, right before I told her she was pregnant,"_

"I received a phone call about that. I'm not going," he said.

"_Sasuke," _she said._ "You have to be there. Suki would want you to come,"_

"I don't think five-year-olds can comprehend corporate management and statistical analysis," he said.

"_Be there for Suki,"_ she said. _"It would mean so much to her to have you come to her school and talk about your work, even if they don't get it,"_ she said. _"Do I need to remind you how much she loves you?" _

Sasuke glanced into her room, watching her precious form sleeping away. Sakura didn't need to tell him. He knew.

"Fine," he conceded. She chuckled on the phone. Sasuke could hear some commotion in the background. It sounded like the TV. "He's not in bed," he said referring to Sora. Sakura turned her head towards the living room and watched Sora flipping through Sai's drawings on the couch.

"_Technically not in bed, but I'm going to give him a few more minutes until bedtime,"_ she said. _"I just wanted to see how Suki was doing. I miss her,"_ she said. Sasuke smirked as he made his way downstairs and back to his living room.

"She made you a drawing," he said while holding it up before him. "Keeps complaining about why she can't stay with you on Saturday," he said. Sakura chuckled.

"_Poor baby,"_ she said. "_I'll see her when we meet at Ino's house,"_ she said. Sasuke just HN'd on the other line. _"Well okay then, I guess I may or may not see you tomorrow,"_

"Hn," he said.

"_Goodnight to you too,"_ she said.

"Did you lock all your doors?" he asked quickly.

"_Yes I did and the alarm is set up and my father is here. Everything is fine,"_ she said. "_I'll see you tomorrow,"_

"Hn…Goodnight Dr. Haruno," he said.

"_Goodnight Mr. Speech impaired Uchiha,"_ she said before hanging up. Sasuke glared at the phone before hanging up and checked his wrist watch. The GPS grind showed her to be in her home at the very least.

* * *

**Sakura's house:**

After talking to Sasuke, Sakura settled down in her living room for the night. It was an exhausting day filled with making out, pregnancy tests and babies galore for Sakura, who was currently enjoying a bit of leisure time with her family.

Sora lay on his belly across the living room floor, dressed in his jammies and flipping through books of his father's art work which Sakura dug up from storage. He had been at it for the past hour or so and couldn't stop flipping the page. Kakashi was sitting in the living room as well, reading through his favorite novels covered up in a magazine.

Sakura was sitting on the couch, flipping through this month's medical journal. She was reading an interesting case about cardiac anomalies when the phone rang. She leaned over to the lamp stand and picked up the line.

"Hello?" she said. The line was quiet on the other end. "Hello?" she said again. When no reply came, she pushed the off button and placed the phone back on the stand. She briefly went back to reading her medical journal when the phone rang again. This time she checked the caller ID, which showed it as an unknown caller.

"Hello?" she said. Again, there was no response. "Hellooo?" she said again. Kakashi looked up from his magazine. She hung up once more with a frustrated sigh. She barely flipped the page on her journal before the phone rang again. This time she just let it ring.

"Who could be calling at this hour?" said Kakashi, all the while tapping a message through his communicator back to headquarters. "You want me to get it?" he asked. Sakura shook her head.

"I don't know, but if it's important, they'll leave a message," she said frustratingly as the phone continued to ring. Sora looked up from the ground and stared questioningly at his mother as she let the phone ring. The caller never left a message.

"Hmm," said Kakashi. Five minutes went by without another call, so Sakura decided to head to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Sora got up to follow her and just as he passed the phone, it rang again. Curiosity getting the better of him, he reached over and picked it up. Kakashi moved to get it from him when he stopped.

"Hello?" said Sora. A moment went by before Sakura walked back to the living room and took the phone from him. She listened but all she could hear was the dial tone. They hung up.

"Sora, don't pick up the phone at home while I'm here," she said.

"But that guy said something Mommy," said Sora. Kakashi and Sakura both stilled.

"What?" she asked. "What guy?"

"He said he's watching you," Sora said. "Who's watching you Mommy?" he asked. Sakura gasped and dropped the phone as bone chilling fear doused her body. Kakashi immediately knelt down beside Sora and firmly grasped his little shoulders.

"Who said that Sora?" he asked. "Who was on the phone?"

"I don't know," said Sora, who was beginning to get frightened by his Grandfather's tone. Kakashi looked at Sakura, who was stricken with fear at whom her son might have talked to.

"Daddy…you don't think that…," she said with a shaking voice. Her thought' immediately went back to the break in, and the possibility that it could have been that man again.

Kakashi's thoughts were headed in the same direction. Sakura grasped Sora and held him close as Kakashi placed his arm over them. It had to be him. Who else could it have been but Sai's damn brother?

"Mommy?" asked Sora. Sakura held him closer and tried to calm her shaking as Kakashi pulled out his cell phone.

"It's Kakashi. I have a situation," he said. "My daughter and Grandson are being stalked," he said making Sakura shake even more.

* * *

**Elsewhere…**

He hung up the phone and tossed it aside as he brought the wine glass up to his lips. He took a large sip before putting the glass down and holding up the white silk against his face. He just needed to hear her voice for now…but soon he would need to see her.

He chuckled as he recalled what he told the boy over the phone.

"…_tell your Mommy…I'm watching her," _he said. _"I'll always be watching her…,"_ he said before he hung up.

He looked at the pictures in the file he was holding; pictures of a man leading an average, normal life. No signs of that nostalgic hatred and bloodlust that once drove the said man to be the monster that he had once been.

Pictures of that deadly man running a hospital of all the ironic things.

Picture of that man holding a little girl…

Pictures of that little girl in the arms of the woman he loved…

Pictures of that little girl and a little boy…

Pictures of his cherry blossom being ravaged in that deadly man's office. Rage began to infiltrate his blood.

"I'm watching you too…Sasuke," he said.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE READ: REVIEW PLEASE! LONG REVIEWS ARE MY MUCH NEEDED MEDICINE!**

**THANK YOU FOR READING THIS STORY 201267yami and your cousin who checks for an update every day! THANK YOU! **

**This chapter shout out goes to my fanfic buddy darkpetaltalki and to a dedicated reader, 201267yami and her cousin whose message gave me the mojo to stay up till 1am to finish this. **

**It's 1am...I'm so tired...have to work at ...cough...6am..cough...X)**

***Sora and Suki and Jun come and poke my fallen body with sticks***

**REVIEW PLEASE! COUGH REVIEW! REVIEW IF YOU LOVE SORA AND SUKI AND JUN!**


	26. Safe

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 26: Safe**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Tokyo Police Station: Sakura's POV:**

It had barely been two hours since that phone call, but it was the longest two hours she had ever been through. She was waiting in the police station, watching as her father spoke with his colleagues in hushed and frustrated tones. For once, she was actually relieved that he was in law enforcement. It gave her _some_ sense of protection anyway. There was nothing more she could do but sit here, in what was supposed to be a safe haven from crime.

She was on edge. Knowing that someone is watching you and not knowing who they are or why they're doing it would do that to a person wouldn't it? But for some reason, it wasn't the 'who' part that unnerved her. It was the 'why'.

Why?

Why would someone want to watch _her_? Sure there were some things about her that were out of the ordinary, such as her excelling career and exceptional hair color. But other than that, she was just like everyone else. There was nothing special about Dr. Sakura Haruno, widow and mother. Her greatest treasure was nestled in her arms fighting sleep as much as his little body could.

Sora's head plopped down on her shoulder. He had finally fallen asleep. She sat there on the bench, holding him against her and refusing to let him go. How could she afford such distance from him when there was a sick man after her? Who could keep her son safe if she herself wasn't safe at all? Who?

Kakashi had been glancing back at her from time to time. He could see the emotions play out on her face as she thought about it more and more. She was scared. Any sane person would have been. But she wasn't scared for herself. Obviously she was frightened for Sora.

Sakura never saw herself having limits or being incapable; a serious personality flaw in Kakashi's opinion. He knew he was to blame for she could not be blamed for it. She didn't know about the kind of life he led that had put her in so much danger since the day she was born. Although Sakura saw herself as self-sufficient, the thing about it was that she was a woman, plain and simple. Any feminist would argue with his logic, but it was logic nonetheless.

A woman pitted against any man would likely lose in a physical fight nine times out of ten. He once told this to Sakura when she was around thirteen, who merely responded that she was the one out of the ten that would quote "kick ass" before she went down.

He never imagined that he would have such a headstrong child. But he loved her for it.

"We'll keep her residence under constant supervision," said the officer. "We'll also keep you posted on the tracing of that call Commander. We can arrange for them to stay in protective care until matters are settled," he offered.

"That won't be necessary," said Kakashi as his peripheral vision picked up two figures walking into the station. "I've got it from here," The cops nodded and dispersed just as another pair made their way over to them. It really was a rare sighting to see Asuma and Kurenai together, since they were so desperate to keep their contact a secret. But with the baby news earlier in the day, they probably figured it was pointless.

"Kakashi," said Asuma. He was wearing a large black coat, similar to Kakashi and chewing one what appeared to be gum. Behind him was Kurenai, who he guessed was with him when he got the news. Sakura stood with a sleeping Sora in her arms when she saw them and walked over. She really wasn't expecting to see these two particular people. Three pairs of eyes watched her carefully as she made her way towards them.

Asuma smiled at her. "Hey there Sakura," he said while putting his hand on her shoulder. "It's been a while. You're definitely not that tiny thing that used to bandage my face anymore," he said earning him a chuckle.

"Hi…uh...Uncle Asuma," she said awkwardly. It felt weird calling him that after so many years. "Hello Kurenai Sensei," she said while giving her a nod and shifting Sora in her arms. Asuma's eyes focused on Sora with a hint of adoration there.

He knew Sai. He was one of the best agents they ever had. This was really one of the first times he really got a chance to look at his son. The boy was like his father, point blank.

"Are you alright?" asked Kurenai with concern.

"Given the circumstances I'm okay for now," said Sakura. "I don't really know what to expect and it's getting frustrating. Having someone watch you all the time…it's not pleasant,"

Kurenai saw how both Kakashi and Asuma caught a swift glance at each other at that statement before looking away guiltily. Though they both also kept eyes on Sakura, it was an entirely different thing. Cases like this were exactly why Sakura needed CIA surveillance at all times.

"Do we have to stay here any longer?" asked Sakura. "He's put out," she said indicating Sora.

"We can go home now," said Kakashi. Sakura simply nodded and walked with her group out to her car. On the way home, Kakashi explained to her that she would be in protective observation and guard until otherwise said by the police force. She didn't argue with that. She couldn't.

Even though she had this much given protection, why was it that she didn't feel protected enough? After all the years of complaints, who was complaining now?

* * *

**NEXT DAY: Konoha Medical Center**

Naruto walked through the hospital halls in a subdued rush, casually greeting everyone but his mortal enemies, the nurses. He got off lucky today without having to deal with actual patients again. For the most part, he really was into his role as a physical therapist, but was assigned tasks that most anyone could do with the proper guidance.

It was that way for many of the agent's pseudo personas.

Take his in-laws for example. Dr. N. Hyuga and Dr. T. Hyuga were specialists in their field, both pseudo and agent wise. Neji was genetically gifted with razor sharp eye-sight. It's a trait that was carried in his carefully bred clan from as far back as the feudal era. It's so advanced and rare, that it was given a code name: Byakugan. Neji's specialties in the field focused on the electrical charges that ran through the human body. He could easily pick up on anyone's presence and precise location the moment they were in his 360 degree range.

Tenten, or "panda chan'" as he once affectionately deemed his cousin-in-law before she punched his lights out, was the same way. Her abilities weren't reliant on genetics. Tenten was a weapons and combat specialist. Like her bastard of a husband, her gift was precision. Tenten never missed her target, no matter how fast or hidden they may be. She was capable of using any and all weaponry available to man. She was even skilled in blade weaponry. You be amazed what kind of arsenal she could hide on her body. Naruto wouldn't be surprised if she had a blade hidden in her bra while she was carrying the triplets.

Hinata, like Neji had the Byakugan. Everyone had their own special quirk that landed them into the CIA, even Naruto.

He shook his head, trying not to think about what had happened to land him into the CIA. That was too dark a secret to even think about. He sighed when he thought about the monthly training sessions they all recently had. Everyone was sharpening their skills and staying on alert to catch the bastard that was toying with Sakura's life.

Speaking of bastards…

Naruto shifted his focus as he caught sight of Sasuke walking up to the elevators with his electronic planner in his hand, along with some hopeful nurses trying to skillfully catch the same lift as him. One of the doors opened, making them run past Sasuke and get in. Their faces changed from hopeful to shock when Sasuke walked right past the elevator doors and headed straight for the stairway, not even looking up from his digital planner. Naruto snickered. Sasuke would rather walk fifteen flights of stairs than take an elevator ride with fangirls.

But since Sasuke was here, then that meant Sakura hasn't told him about that call.

Naruto wondered when she would. He certainly couldn't tell him without an explanation as to how he knew before anyone else. All he knew was that Sasuke would be pissed when he found out. Of all the gang that made it into the CIA, how the hell did they miss Sasuke?

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Half the day had gone by in a blur. It was nearing her lunch hour, and Sakura found herself sitting in the NICU, clad in her hospital protective gowns and keeping one of the babies company. She had already checked on her patients, and the census was still low. Even the ER was slow today.

She was counting on keeping busy to keep her mind off that night. If she was preoccupied with saving lives, it would have been a whole lot easier, instead of having mounds of time to just think about losing her own.

The baby in the incubator began to fidget. He was awake now. Poor little guy was born two months premature and hooked up on more machines that she would have liked. Still, his mother was in recovery and was unable to come down to visit him. So Sakura took it upon herself to keep him company when she could.

"Hi sweetie," she whispered as she placed her hand in the armhole of the incubator. She placed her finger in the baby's palm and smiled when his little fingers wrapped themselves around it in a promising grip.

"I'm sorry your Mommy can't be with you right now," she said tenderly as her other fingers gently rubbed his arm. "She really wants to be. I know it's hurting her not to be with you. But she's getting stronger for you, so you have to get stronger for her too, okay?" she asked.

The baby lightly kicked his legs and managed to turn his head towards her voice. The sound of footsteps caught her attention, and she turned to see the baby's father standing behind her.

"Dr. Haruno," he said. "How's my boy doing?" he asked worriedly as he came to stand on the other side of the incubator. He looked down at his first born child with tenderness and concern. Sakura smiled at him. He and his wife were a young couple who just had their first child. Unfortunately, the pregnancy took its toll on the mother, who was thankfully able to survive the birth.

"He's a fighter," said Sakura. "Hopefully your wife will be strong enough to come down and see him soon. I'll go check on her now," she said while standing up and giving him time alone with his son. He nodded his head in thanks as she left.

She went to check on the mother as promised, and was pleased to see that she was making improvements. There wasn't much more she could do so she decided to go back to her office and change out of the scrubs. She didn't have any more patients to see so she re-dressed in a black pencil skirt and grey silk blouse with black heels. She then headed downstairs to grab some lunch.

She had to keep her strength up. She had been so preoccupied with her whole situation that it was starting to affect her physically. She was tired, and not thinking straight. She barely managed to let Sora go to school this morning.

It was like a headache that was just lingering and refusing to fully surface. She exited the elevator and took a few steps into the massive first floor area, when she stopped.

Her head began to spin.

It was then that a surge of emotion began to weep into her head. Was it her, or was the hospital full of people today? Everywhere she looked there were people, just people all around her. The room was beginning to spin and the air was getting hotter. She needed to get out and away from everything. She just had to be alone.

With that she bolted past the elevators and pulled the stairway door open, running up the fifteen long flights of stairs. She then regretted changing into a skirt and heels.

Every step along the long stairway ripped at her thigh muscles and forced her heart to beat faster in compensation, but she wouldn't stop. She couldn't stop. Her mind kept trying to sift through her memoires, trying to figure out if there was anyone she knew that might be behind all this, but she kept turning up blank. None of it made sense. Her lungs were screaming at her as she rounded to the last set of stairs, past the office level and up to the last door with the light streaming through.

She pushed open the door and stopped, breathing heavily and resting her hands on her knees as she regained control of her lungs.

Sakura just needed to breathe and think. It was a good minute before she was able to move around again. Her muscles felt that familiar slouch from being worked so hard without rest as she began to walk.

She walked around the spacious hospital rooftop. Even up here, the place was advanced. There was a large landing pad with the letters KMC at the center for a Helicopter to transport patients with a small control-center off to the side. The rest of it was just precious space; space for her to clear her head.

She welcomed the cool winter air as it hit her face making her previously hot cheeks flush. She walked along the sides, her hands lazily grazing against the railings. The view was even more amazing up here compared to Sasuke's office. She could see the entire city at a 360 degree angle.

Looking at the city from this point of view was oddly calming, even though there was one person, probably within this city that was stalking her. She didn't know when this person might decide to show himself to her. He could just come at her at any moment and she would have to be prepared.

Sakura felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped out of her skin with a scream.

"AHHH!" She spun around quickly trying to throw a punch and missing her target before registering black hair and a business suit. He caught her fist in his palm. Her heart was racing once again and her breathing was out of control. Sasuke just stood there, startled by her reaction. Sakura brought a hand up to her chest and felt her heart trying to escape her rib cage.

That was it.

"Don't _ever_ sneak up behind me!" she yelled as she yanked her hand out of his grasp. "I just lost a year off the end of my life," she said while glaring at Sasuke. For whatever reason, fury seemed to be building in her system with every passing moment.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her mood. Whatever she was going through, she was taking out on him. He didn't much care for that. He just saw her standing in the middle of the first floor looking like the world was ending before suddenly running to the stairway. Now she was yelling at him.

"What are you doing up here anyway?" she snapped while just barely managing to tame her cardiac muscles. "Did you follow me up here? Don't you have paper work to do?" she asked. Somewhere in the back on her mind, she was wondering why she was being so venomous to him, but she couldn't control it. She just wanted some time alone, and not be scared shitless for no reason. It didn't make any sense. Sasuke's cool stare didn't falter at her temper, but on the inside he was curious. She wasn't this mad when they talked last night.

He just simply stood there with his stoic mask on and watching her vent, which frustrated her even more.

"Say something why don't you?" she yelled. "And it better not be "hn" because I swear to g-,"

"From Suki," he said stiffly while reaching behind his back pocket and bringing out a folded piece of paper. At the mention of Suki's name, the fury evaporated from her system. She eyed the piece of paper as he handed it to her briskly. She unfolded it and sighed when she saw that it was a drawing, of what she assumed to be herself as a princess.

Suki's precious little angel face came into her mind and she was now filled with guilt. Sasuke did nothing wrong, she was just being paranoid. Sakura's eyes stared at the picture. Right now, she was no princess. She held the picture close to her chest as her eyes cast downward, trying to hold back the tears. She hated being so scared.

"What's wrong," he demanded. Something must have happened to make her feel this way. "Sakura," he said sternly.

"I…I can't…" she tried to keep it together, but she was falling apart. "I…someone's been…," she began to shake. Sasuke grabbed hold of her shoulder's steadying her. "Someone's been following me around," she said while clutching the drawing even closer to her chest. Sasuke went rigid at what she said.

Everything stilled, even the wind.

Sasuke stared at her face as two tears glistened at the brim of her eyes, before cascading down her cheeks. Her words sank deeper and deeper into his mind, and his fury was rising to the surface.

"Did you see them?" he said fiercely. "Did you see who they were?" he said. Sakura just continued to look down. "Sakura!" he said while shaking her shoulders a bit.

"No," she said. "He called my house last night," she said. He stood there stunned. "He kept calling over and over again…but there was never anyone on the line," she said. "Finally it stopped for while…but then," she shuddered as she remembered her son.

"Sora picked up the phone," she continued "…and there was someone on the other line,"

Sasuke's grip on her arms tightened, but she took no notice. He didn't like where this was headed.

"What did he say to Sora," said Sasuke with danger laced into his tone. It made Sakura swallow and finally look him in the eyes, afraid to tell him even that much.

"He said: Tell your Mommy I'm watching her" she said. "Tell her I'm always watching," she said before Sasuke pulled her into his arms and crushed her there. Sakura buried her face in his chest. "I'm so scared Sasuke," she whispered.

He held her there as his mind was swirling with possibilities. He looked off onto the city, knowing that if there was someone after her, then they were more than likely being watched right as this very moment. He glared at nothing in particular before focusing on her again. She just looked so overwhelmed. He thought back to the burglary incident and how shaken she had been then. It was like going through that all over again.

She looked up at him when she felt his gaze. He was looking at her with unreadable eyes. He must have been angry. He was so protective of her, just like her father was, but she found that she didn't quite mind it from him. It was then that she realized that she didn't feel as afraid when she was in his arms. He was holding her as if he were keeping a barrier between her and the rest of the world. She felt…safe.

The wind flew by them, catching her pink tresses and blowing them behind her. Her cheeks flushed, and Sasuke couldn't help but be enthralled once again by her beauty, even in times like these. Her beautiful green eyes, glossy from fear, told him all that he would need to know. She was such an open book.

"Why didn't you call me right way?" he asked. "Why couldn't you tell me this when it happened?" he said. "You should have known that'd I'd be there,"

"And do what Sasuke?" she asked. "What could you have done that the police couldn't do? I didn't want to worry you about this," she said. He grabbed hold of her chin and made her look him in the eye.

"You are so annoying," he said. "But _you_…are…_mine_," he said stressing every word. "If _anyone_ ever tried to hurt you…," he said while keeping eye contact. It was difficult to speak without getting so infuriated.

"…I'll find him," he said finally. "I'll find that bastard and kill him," he said noticing the way her eyes widened. "No one's going to get to you…or Sora," he said. Sakura could only stare. His words were so absolute, so believable. They were so assuring, and that's what made her both fearful and certain for her own safety. The force from his hands moved from her waist to her neck, pulling her into him and claiming her lips.

His kiss made her forget the danger, if only for a moment.

One thing she knew was that he was a part of her now, and she was a part of him. Their lives, their friends, their children…everything was intertwined, like the anastamosis of blood vessels intricately laced within the body. He became the blood that was keeping her alive and sane; her life force.

She kissed him back and pulled herself as close to him as possible. If she was with Sasuke, she felt as though she had nothing to fear. She was strong, but with Sasuke by her side, she felt even better than that. She felt safe, and that was worth more than anything right now.

He pulled away quickly, keeping her close to him.

"I'll drive you home," he said. Sakura shook her head.

"I can't leave. I have patients that need me Sasuke," she said.

"Then I'll drive you home at the end of the day," he said. "I'll pick you up in the morning and drop Sora off at school with Suki. I don't want you driving on your own,"

"I have a police escort at all times," she said. "So I'm not really alone when I'm on the road,"

"I don't care," he said. "You're not going anywhere alone. I'll drive you. You don't have a choice in the matter so don't even think about arguing," he said and she didn't. Sakura nodded and rested her head against his chest.

"I won't" she said. Sasuke wrapped his arms around her, relieved that for once, she was listening to him. "But this means that I'm not going to that conference. I'm not going to leave Sora alone with anyone," she said. Sasuke nodded.

"I'll cancel our attendance. It's not something we need to get involved in right now," he said. She nodded in agreement. Normally she would have said that he could go on his own, but this was serious. She wanted him with her and the hospital was already stocked with state-of-the-art equipment. What mattered most was their safety.

"Thank you," said Sakura as they walked back into the hospital with their hands linked. Sasuke simply squeezed her hand and starred out ahead.

"Hn," he said. For the first time in that day, Sakura smiled.

* * *

**Underground…**

Karin lounged in her chair, stretching and testing all her muscles after that last round with Kabuto. She had never felt so tired before.

Granted she always thought about someone else when she was with him, but that was beginning to get frustrating. Kabuto had an air about him that was both intelligent and dangerous. Not to mention the man was probably more obsessed with a curtained pink haired bitch than he ought to be.

He still refused to explain himself whenever she brought it up. She had a damn right to know since he requested her assistance in his twisted plans. Hell, he definitely knew why she was here, it was only fair.

But he was getting testy with her. Their physical trysts were getting somewhat…strange. His moves were so defined, and his skin was more on the sharp side than flesh. Something was off with him. His body was also getting cooler, and unnaturally so.

Karin had no idea what he did down in that decomposing lab of his, but whatever it was, she hoped to hell that he wasn't experimenting on himself, especially if it was going to affect her own body. She would have to look into that later.

The flashing of her computer snapped her out of her thoughts. She squealed when she saw that the KMC seal was on it. Her Sasuke had written to her.

She opened the letter and read the short message slowly. She began to see red.

_Konoha Medical Center conference participants will decline the invitation on the grounds for personal matters. _

It was a short message, but it was enough to make Karin slam the laptop screen down and toss it to the wall, making it break into pieces.

"Damn that bitch!" she screamed. "This has got to end now!"

"Touch her…and you're as good as dead," said a voice from the corner of the room. Karin turned around, only to scoff at Kabuto's other bitch, old what's-his-name (mystery dude 2).

Karin huffed. "What is it with her? What's so fascinating about that whore?" she screamed.

He simply sighed as leaned against the wall.

"Who knows," he said before looking at her again. "What I find more interesting is why you're so into that damned Uchiha,"

"Don't you talk about him like that!" said Karin. "Sasuke's mine and I won't rest until I have him back where he belongs," she said. He simply scoffed.

"Ch," he said. "From what I can see, he was never yours to begin with," he said, making her face flare crimson, almost matching bizarre hair.

"Get out of my room before I kill you," said Karin. He simply scoffed again. Karin took in a deep breath and stared him straight in the face. "You remind me of a certain someone I used to know. I will kill you…once I get the chance," she said. He simply sighed and exited her room, only to find himself face to face with Kabuto.

He looked pale…really pale; even more so than usual. He was covering his eyes with tinted shades, which only made him look creepier.

They starred at each other for a moment before he spoke.

"My good man," said Kabuto. "Try not to ruffle her feathers too much," he said while adjusting his shades. "It wouldn't do me well to have her lose her focus,"

"She doesn't seem to have any focus," he replied.

"Don't underestimate her," said Kabuto. "You don't really know what that woman is capable of," he said before entering Karin's room and shutting the door behind him. He quickly exited the hallway, not wanting to bear witness to whatever activities those two were about to proceed in.

* * *

**Konoha Medical Center:**

Sakura sat in her office as her day began to wind down. She was mentally exhausted. Her thoughts were constantly around her guilt for the way she acted earlier on the roof. She had to acknowledge that Sasuke is her boyfriend now, and he had every right to be protective of her.

She leaned back in her seat as she remembered the way he was earlier. She could feel the blood pooling in her cheeks as she recalled the overwhelming male aura he emitted whenever he got protective.

There was a certain control about Sasuke Uchiha that emanated from his every pore. His whole being was the definition of power; everything from his lithe movements to his tall stature, his straight posture, that deep commanding voice…and those eyes.

Sakura shivered when she thought about those steely black irises that felt as though they saw through the very bottom of her soul.

Her skin was covered in Goosebumps just thinking about them. Sasuke seemed capable of much more than the average man. He seemed like the fighting type, a warrior of some sort. And what Sakura noticed about him was his need to protect what are his and do justice by them. He was much more than average.

She didn't know when her eyes became clouded with a sudden desire for him. Her body was tingling with the need to be near him. Her day was over now. There was just one more thing to take care of.

* * *

**Sasuke's office:**

He sensed her presence before she opened the door to his office. With one look in her misted eyes, he knew what she was here for.

No one said a word.

She walked towards him, and his hand moved to the picture frame on his desk. She merely raised an eyebrow at the dark tint the glass walls behind him were taking. The glass was completely black by the time she came and sat on the desk, directly in front of him. The room was dark, with only the glow of his computer screen.

"You don't see that every day," she said gently as her hand came and rested on the side of his face. He took hold of that hand, and turned his head, allowing his lips to graze at the skin of her wrist. The gesture sent electricity through her system, sparking her desire even more.

"I'm full of surprises," he said, eyeing her other hand that came to loosen the tie around his neck. Sakura stared into his eyes with desire. What she was beginning was both exciting…and wildly inappropriate…

…and right now, she couldn't care less.

He pulled her towards him and their lips met. She was now straddling him on his office chair and moaning as his tongue invaded her mouth. She could feel his possession pouring out of his kiss as his ferocious mouth claimed his territory. He had to be fast. They only had so much time.

His hands gripped at her shoulders, peeling away the first barrier that he found: her white coat. She pulled her arms back and let the coat slide off onto the floor before her hands found his face again. She moaned when his hands gripped at her hips.

Her fingers slid down to the collar of his shirt, hastily undoing the buttons without pulling them off, and without breaking their kiss. They still had to leave the office presentably after all. Sasuke assisted removing the buttons and relished the feeling of her hands on his bare chest. She broke the kiss and leaned back slightly taking a breath and admiring her view of him.

He was smirking at her as she checked him out, but she didn't care. The room was lite only by the light from his computer screen, giving his pale, sculpted skin a light blue glow. Every crevice of his musculature was illuminated, and her eyes grew cloudier with desire. The sudden pressure on her hips made her focus as his hands slid upward, taking her silk top with them and tossing it to the side.

Now it was her turn to smirk as his eyes absorbed her form, clad in a pink silk bra with black lace borders that made his insides squirm. The circle pendant remained around her neck, dangling beautifully above her breasts. She saw how his playful smirk shrank into a predatory stare, and gasped when he sat up, taking her with him and pushing her to sit on top of his large black desk.

His lips were on hers again. Kissing her gave him a sensation unlike any other. It was addictive. It wasn't just her lips either; he could kiss every surface of her skin if he wanted. He dragged his lips across her cheek, down to her neck. Her heart was beating so fast he could feel the pulsations with every nip and lick on her skin.

Her fingers wove themselves into his hair, tightening their hold as his lips moved down to her collar bone and shoulder.

"Sasuke," she whispered when his mouth crossed her chest. His hands grasped her calves, sliding up and fiddling with the hem of her skirt, pushing it up slowly and savoring the feel of her soft skin on his fingertips. He reached up until his fingers were able to loop into the hem of her panties. He used the chance to drag her to the very edge of his desk, giving him the ability to slid the small black undergarment down and dangle at her left ankle.

Sakura grabbed at his shirt collar, yanking his lips back to hers. She was just as addicted to his kisses. She hastily pulled his shirt back and tossed it somewhere before her hands began their roaming.

He pulled at her hips again, making her collide with his body. She arched her back against him when she felt his need pressed intimately against her. Her hands slid down his front, latching onto his belt and furiously working the buckle until it was off and pulled out. He leaned onto her, pushing her back to his desk.

Sakura gasped when the cold black metallic surface touched the skin of her back. Sasuke took the chance to kiss her again, letting his tongue continue where it left off. His hot hands contrasted with the cold desk as they roamed her skin, sliding over her chest and abs. His lips moved to her neck, kissing and nipping the skin, enjoying the way his name rolled off her lips in soft gasps. Hearing his name in that tone of voice always pushed him beyond control.

She screamed when he plunged into her without haste, thrusting in and out and keeping her on edge.

She panted with each and every thrust. Sasuke was lost in her. Her tight heat and breathy moans increased his pleasure to the point where he struggled to keep his eyes open to keep the image before him in his mind. Having her lay there beneath him as he drove into her, watching the emotions play out on her face as he pleasured her drove him to move faster and harder with every move.

Sakura swam in the sensations he was driving into her. She thought of nothing but him as she watched him glowing in the blue light. He was a magnificent sight. Her body tingled just from the sight of him.

She clawed at his back as the pressure continued to build inside her. He surprised her when his body straightened, lifting her up and holding her at the edge of the desk while continuing to thrust into her. She threw her head back and moaned as the new position enabled him to thrust deeper inside her, hitting her most sensitive nerves and increasing her bliss tenfold.

The minutes passed like seconds and Sakura could feel her release coming sooner than she expected. She wanted that release, but never wanted him to stop holding her the way he was. Her fingers clutched at his hair, attempting to keep him as close as she could.

Sasuke knew she was close when he felt her legs contract tightly behind him, pulling him even closer as she threw her head back and cried out his name as she came. She constricted around him, forcing him to come only a few seconds later.

He rode out his release and found her lips as he came down from the high. He kissed her with such ferocity; his typical predator personality showing. They stayed like that, glued together and breathing unsteadily between kisses.

They managed to look into each other's temporarily satiated eyes. Onyx met emerald, and the passion was bubbling on the surface once again.

Sasuke kissed her softly as he pulled out of her. She groaned lightly and opened her eyes to stare into his. She wasn't surprised to see that his eyes were clouded with desire again, because she was in the same state as he was. The only thing holding them back was the time.

They were parents after all. The magic hour was always 3-4:00 PM, when school ended.

"How much longer do we have?" she asked quietly as her fingers gently massaged his scalp. Sasuke caressed her sides and took a glance at the computer screen. He released a breath and took a quick kiss from her.

"Twenty minutes," he answered.

"mmmm," she said with closed eyes. "Then we should get going soon," she said while tightening her arms around his neck. Sasuke smirked and pulled her off the desk, steadying her as she regained her balance. He failed to notice that she was wearing heels when she entered his office. He smirked again when he realized that he liked her in heels.

Sakura released her hold on his neck and pulled her skirt back down to a respectable level. She turned to find her panties, when her eyes caught sight of the photographs on his desk. She hesitated for a moment before flipping the pictures with the kids facedown. Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he adjusted his pants.

"I suddenly feel dirty," she said while facing him again. "We had an inappropriate audience during desk sex," she said while blushing. Sasuke resisted rolling his eyes.

"You can't be serious," he said while giving her the once over and smirking again. She blushed even more under his gaze. After all she was half naked in his office _at work_ with only a bra and a pencil skirt, and he was looking like the sexy beast of male perfection in nothing but black pants and muscles emanating testosterone; and this was her boss. Inappropriate was out the window at this point.

"I am," she said while walking around his desk and heading straight for his private bathroom across his large office. Sasuke watched her walk away, enjoying the way the skirt moved with her hips.

Sakura opened the door to his bathroom, not expecting it to be so big. Everything was made from black granite and tile; there was even a full shower.

"You have a full bathroom at work?" she asked while walking inside and glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes grew wide at her appearance. Her hair was disheveled, her lips were puffy and she counted at least three hickies on her lower neck and shoulder. She turned her head and saw him standing in the doorway, watching her watch herself. He held up her panties on his index finger, making her blush.

"There was a time when I worked late…really late," he said while walking in and grasping her hips again. Sakura chuckled and turned to the sink, grabbing a towel and soaking it with hot water before she began to give herself a mini-bath. She sighed when she cleaned between her legs, earning a smug smirk from Sasuke. He cleaned up as well and within a few minutes they were decent.

"I'm going to make beef and tomato stir-fry tonight…if you're interested," she said while buttoning up her shirt and putting her lab coat on again. Sasuke smirked as he put his tie back on.

"Hn," he said. Sakura took that as a yes and flipped the pictures back up on his desk. Her fingers grasped the photos of Suki at the beach, and Sora at his Karate match. She looked at them fondly and smiled.

"Maybe I'll bake some cookies too," she said. Sasuke placed his coat on and cracked a small smile behind her back. If it was even possible, she was even more beautiful now than she was fifteen minutes ago on his desk. She put the pictures back and turned, only to receive a long kiss.

Sakura sighed as he pulled away. Was it possible for her to be too happy at the end of a depressing day?

"Let's go pick up our babies," she said. He smirked and together, they left his office.

* * *

**Konoha Leaf Academy:**

The children were grouped together and playing outside in the courtyard, waiting for their parents to come and pick them up. Lee was on patrol this time, along with Kurenai. She watched as Lee participated in the activities. A black escalade pulled up alongside the curb. Kurenai was curious, knowing that Asuma would never leave his post, and was pleasantly surprised when she saw Anko Mitarashi step out of the vehicle.

Anko wasn't one for subtly. She dressed as civilian as best she could with black and surprisingly feminine slacks, and a white button down shirt and her usual tan colored trench coat. What really surprised her was the lack of her usual combat boots, instead replaced with actual strappy sandals. Anko caught Kurenai's eye and walked over, looking at the kids playing as she went. Kurenai could have sworn she something of a smile as she did.

"Nice to see you here of all places," said Kurenai as Anko stood next to her friend.

"Yeah well, this isn't exactly a social call," said Anko. "I'm just checking in with you and Lee," she said. "Anything unusual?" she asked while looking around the place. Her eyes landed on Kakashi's Grandson, playing with the other boys.

"Not since that presence we detected the other day," said Kurenai, noticing how Anko was fixated on Sora. "We keep Sora under constant supervision. You can tell Kakashi to have a little more faith in us," she said making Anko chuckle.

"Now why would I tell him that?" she asked. "He chose you two especially for this task. He knows you're qualified. He doesn't trust just anyone with that Grandson of his," she said while chuckling at the fact that he had a Grandchild. "He really is an old geezer isn't he?" she said. Kurenai laughed.

"Hardly," said Kurenai. "And you of all people would know just how much of young and able man he really is," she said. Anko just sighed.

"Don't I know it," she said vaguely. "It's still hard to believe he's a Grandfather," she said. Kurenai smiled.

"But you love him anyway," she said, making Anko fidget. Of course she loved him, but she wouldn't tell him that. She would never tell anyone she loved them. The minute she does that…everything can changed. And she liked things the way they were. She didn't like change.

"And you love Smokey the bear," she said making Kurenai fidget this time. "Oh come on you're pregnant for crying out loud. Stop trying to hide it. Everyone's known about you two since you began," she said as parents slowly began arriving at the school to get their kids.

"Efforts wasted I guess," said Kurenai while subconsciously bringing a hand to her belly. Anko saw the gesture and had to look away.

"How did he take it?" asked Anko. "The news I mean,"

"Well once he coughed up his cigarette he was pretty excited. He vowed to stop smoking once and for all. Go figure," said Kurenai. "Having a baby really changes a man. It brings out a side of them that you never really knew was possible," she said. Anko nodded.

"I guess it does," she said while staring at the kids once more. She cracked a smile when she saw Sora laughing and having a good time. She liked the kid. He looked like he had spunk. "It really does again," she said before a certain vehicle caught her eye.

It wasn't so much the vehicle as it was the people stepping out of it.

"Damn," she said while pulling out her shades and placing them over her eyes. "Wasn't expecting those two," she said as Sasuke and Sakura stepped out of his car and walked over to the school. Kurenai saw them as well.

"You might want to make an exit out the back then," said Kurenai. Anko nodded and discreetly slid away from view and out through the side of the building. If Sakura was able to remember Asuma from her childhood, then she would surely recognize her father's "secretary" and wonder why the hell she was here at the school. But Anko never planned on leaving fully.

She took a last glance at Sasuke Uchiha. There was just something about him that irked her. And she would get to the bottom of it. She pulled out her cell and dialed a certain person's number.

"It's me," she said. "I'm on my way over,"

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

The drive home was different to say the least. Sakura sat in the passenger's side as Sasuke drove his car into the city. He remained focused on the road, while she was left with her thoughts. She glanced at the side view mirrors and saw the two escort cars following them as they drove. Sasuke was insistent that she tell security of his plans. She informed her father of Sasuke's demand to drive her places, to which he surprisingly agreed. Her father's answer was strange. It was as if he had no choice in the matter.

Sakura shook her head. This was no time to be worrying over her father's opinion on her life. There was more to think about.

Sakura glanced in the rear view mirror and allowed herself to smile at the two beautiful children buckled up in their booster seats in the back. She thought back to the school where her anxious mood evaporated the minute she saw the joy on the children's faces when they saw both of their parents had come to get them. She had never felt more loved.

Their angelic voices were the only sounds that filled the car as they drove through the streets of Tokyo.

"Mommy," said Sora, catching her eye in the mirror. "Kurenai Sensei says they're going to hang my drawings at the festival," said Sora proudly. Sakura smiled.

"They are?" said Sakura. "That's great sweetie. I'm so proud of you,"

"Daddy," said Suki. "Can we go to the festival?" she asked. Sasuke's eyes glanced at his daughter in the rear view mirror. Sakura glimpsed at him from the side. Knowing him, he wouldn't want her, let alone the kids, out in public when he was in safety mode. Sasuke didn't respond immediately and Sakura figured he was trying to let her down easy. It wasn't fair, and Sakura didn't want to overstep her authority, but…

"Of course we can sweetheart," said Sakura while turning her head back to look at her. "We can all go," she said while looking back at Sasuke, who was trying to control the upcoming twitch in his eye. It took a lot just to stop the glare. Suki smiled.

"We may not be able to go Tenshi," said Sasuke. "Things can come up," he said while casting a look at Sakura, who returned it. Before Suki's face could be dejected, Sakura made a move.

"I don't see why not," said Sakura. "After all," she said while turning back in her seat. "Things can come up, but we shouldn't stop living our lives. This festival would mean a lot for the kids and I certainly could use some fun, now of all times," she said.

"And Akira says she's going to wear a Yukata," said Suki. "I'm going to wear mine too," she said happily. "Are you going to wear a Yukata Aunty Sakura?" she asked.

"I don't know sweetie," she said. "I haven't worn one in a long time. What color is your Yukata?" she asked.

"Red!" said Suki. "Uncle Itachi gave it me," she said. Sakura figured it would have been pink. Then again, she didn't think a mysterious man such as Sasuke's older brother would be caught dead buying anything pink.

Sasuke was debating whether or not to flat out lock her in his house and toss the key for her own good. Going out in the public eye was not how he wanted to start protecting her, yet here she was, willing to frolic her whereabouts to a lunatic. Sasuke glared at the road as he continued to drive. He kept his gaze on the road, all the while being irritated at Sakura's lack of awareness.

* * *

**Kakashi's Office: **

He had been at it for the past two hours, and still there was nothing. Normally, tracing a call would take seconds with CIA resources. Yet this call was purely untraceable. He cursed and closed his laptop. Too many events were happening to Sakura. His doors opened, allowing Tsunade, Jiraya, Asuma, Anko, and Guy to enter.

They all came and stood before his desk in a neat line, with the best poker faces he could have even seen. No one spoke a word as they all stared at each other. It was then that Guy stepped out of the line and came right up to Kakashi's desk.

Kakashi watched as he extended his right hand and made an open thumbs-up sign.

"Thumb war Kakashi!" he said with steely determination. "This will be the tie breaker in our 50-50 match competition," he said with a glint in his teeth. Kakashi simply stood from his chair, and faced the rest of the line.

"Any news?" he asked. Guy fell dramatically before getting up and pointing a finger accusingly at Kakashi. He was about to speak before Anko punched his gut, leaving him to heave behind the line.

"Well that's what we came to see you about," said Jiraya. "We have no leads whatsoever and the only thing we can come up with is something you're not going to like," he said. Kakashi sighed.

"Our kind of news regarding Sakura is not really a thing I enjoy," said Kakashi. "Let's hear it,"

"There are too many events occurring around her," said Tsunade. "We haven't dismissed the idea that it could be someone from your past Kakashi, since it's just too much of a coincidence for Sakura to have a stalker,"

"Although any and all of your adversaries were killed on the spot once they figured out that you indeed have a daughter," said Anko. "No one else should know about it,"

"Keep in mind that Sakura is somewhat of a public figure, at least in the field of medicine that is," Jiraya pointed out. "And I know you don't need to hear it from me of all people, but she is quite the looker. Any guy would be capable of becoming a bit obsessive," he said. Tsunade elbowed his gut, making him bend over in pain.

"So what you're telling me is that we don't have any sense of direction to catch this guy," said Kakashi.

"What we're telling you is that that are too many directions to choose from," said Anko. "We can't really rule anything out without investigating more," she said. Kakashi sighed and slumped in his seat once more.

It was frustrating puzzle, and what was even more frustrating was the fact that he didn't have enough pieces to even paint a picture!

"So now what?" asked Kakashi, even though he knew what came next. It was the worst part of any investigation.

"We wait," said Tsunade. Kakashi closed his eyes and leaned his head against his chair. Now they had to wait for something else to happen to his little girl.

* * *

**Naruto's POV:**

Naruto and Hinata were currently walking up the pathway to Sasuke's house. They were both put out, especially after their last mission involving some crazy ice manufacturer who was really dishing out a new drug called "Red Ice". That stuff did some crazy shit to the users, who were currently being held at the CIA base for observation and testing.

Even though they were tired, they still made it a point to go over to Sasuke's house, where they knew Sakura would be.

"I have half a mind just to tell the bastard to join the CIA," said Naruto as they approached Sasuke's house. Hinata just sighed.

"You know we can't Naruto," she said. "If he were to ever find out, we'd have to-"

"I know," said Naruto he said deeply. "It would just be easier if he was a part of this," Hinata smiled and squeezed his hand. "He's like a pain in the ass brother that I'm holding out on,"

"But there must have been a reason why no one thought to recruit him. His entire family line was in it, but they specifically left Sasuke out, and I'm sure it was for a good reason" said Hinata. "I know you don't want to lie to him but it's for his own good," she said.

"I know," said Naruto. "Still it would have been nice to practice combat with him, with all the good stuff we got back at base," he said while ringing the doorbell.

A few seconds later, Sasuke was at the door with Sora and Suki at his side. The children displayed their happiness with smiles and giggles with their company, which made Naruto and Hinata smile as well. Sasuke and Sakura should just get married and get it over with. These kids were inseparable.

* * *

**Normal POV:**

"Hi you guys," said Sakura as they all entered the kitchen. The smell of beef and tomatoes wafted through the air, making Naruto salivate. Hinata went to hug Sakura.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm doing great," said Sakura. "Everything's going well. How about you?" she asked while giving Naruto a glance. Hinata blushed. She still wasn't able to talk to Naruto about starting a family yet, but that was not the issue here.

"I'm okay," she said. "Oh and Tenten say's hi. The babies are doing well," she added.

"That's great," said Sakura.

Naruto and Sasuke hovered in the living room, where the TV was on with Sora and Suki's ninja anime. Naruto was giving Sasuke an inquisitive look, making Sasuke glare at him in annoyance.

"Sakura looks better," said Naruto. "She looks much better from this morning,"

"Hn," said Sasuke. He took a sideways glance in the kitchen, where Sakura and Hinata were chatting animatedly. Naruto snickered and leaned on the doorway.

"Yep," he said. "Nothing better than getting laid during office hours to kick the depression," he said, earning himself one of the best glares Sasuke could give. Naruto gave him a smug you-can't-kill-me-because-there-are-witnesses look and went to join the kids watching their anime, leaving Sasuke to simmer in the hallway.

**Later that night…**

Naruto and Hinata had gone home for the night. Sasuke had given Naruto plenty of glares throughout the night, warning him to keep his mouth shut and not make any suggestive jokes. He would keep quiet if he valued his life.

There was another thing that required this attention, and that was the matter of the festival.

"You know you shouldn't go," said Sasuke as Sakura cleaned the dishes in the kitchen. She stopped rinsing them and turned to look at him. "It's not safe,"

"I think it will be okay," said Sakura. "I have security with me and we definitely won't be alone if you're there. The kids are really excited about this, so don't ruin it for them Sasuke,"

"I don't want to ruin anything for them," he said. "But it's not something I'm willing to risk. You don't know if it'll be okay Sakura. You don't know if that bastard will be there waiting for you," he said as she continued to put the dishes away.

"This is only about your safety," he continued "There's a person out there that knows who you are and where you go Sakura. Who's to say that he isn't the one who broke into your house? Have you thought about that?"

"You think that hasn't crossed my mind?" she asked, stopping what she was doing and rounding on him. "You don't think I've killed myself trying to think of all the possibilities? Or better yet, why this is happening to _me_? I've done nothing but think about that since it happened. I'm scared to death, for me and for my son! I'm afraid of being close to you and Suki. Whoever is watching me is bound to be watching everyone I'm with! Everyone knew about us when we we're trying to hide it! He's got to know about us by now! He's got to know about the kids by now! He's got to know about everything about me so why shouldn't I just go out and live my life?"

"Because he's a psychotic maniac who might try to end your life!" he said while pinching the bridge of his nose. Why didn't she understand his point of view? "Stalkers are serious business Sakura. Obsession leads to unimaginable dangers," he said with a tone that could only be fear "Are you that willing to present yourself to him and get killed?"

"I want to know who he is!" she said. "I want to know why he's following me and why he's targeting me, why he can't just show up in front of me so I can kick his ass!" she said. Sasuke grabbed her arms in a tight grip, enough to make her squirm. His voice was dangerously low as he spoke.

"Are you insane enough to think…that you can take him on your own?" he asked with his eyes piercing her own "Are you willing to risk your life, risk leaving your son and everyone behind while you dangle your life in front of danger?" he said. Sakura narrowed her eyes, but she knew where he was coming from. She hated this.

"I don't want to let this bastard keep me locked up in fear Sasuke," she said. "I don't want to let him…but I have too," she said as he let her go. She sighed and crossed her arms across her chest, hugging herself. "You're right. You're absolutely right. I'm not willing to put my family in danger. If you don't think we should go to the festival then we won't go," she said while keeping her back to him. "It's not like I had time to get Sora a Happi coat or anything," she mumbled.

Sasuke stood there in a rage, but not at his stubborn girlfriend. He was enraged at the very thought of someone _obsessing_ over _his_ girlfriend. He knew only too well what obsession can do to a person.

The image of a withering cherry blossom flashed before his eyes. It was far less graphic than what he was thinking, but the meaning was so much more.

He had to find this bastard; find him and deal with him.

They were dealing with a stalker, and a highly unverified one.

Stalkers are usually easy to find, when you have what they want in your grasp. He studied her carefully while calculating a plan in his head. He didn't want to do it, but what other choice did he have. He had to use the festival to his advantage.

He had to lure the bastard out of hiding. He had exactly what that stalker wanted right before him.

"As long as the three of you are in my sight at all times…," he said, keeping his tone light as she slowly turned to face him. "You can't go anywhere without me," he said. She looked at him with her piercing green eyes "I don't want him to stop you from living," he said. Her frown thinned into a small smile as she came up to him and placed a hand on his cheek.

"So we can go," she said carefully.

"With me and you never leave my sight," he stressed. She smiled and glanced in the living room at the kids. They would have so much fun at the festival, and now that Sasuke was willing to go, it was even better, and safer.

Sasuke smirked as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. His hands grasped her hips possessively as he deepened that kiss. Her lips told him that she was wanted to _show_ him just how happy she was with him, which made him smirk even more.

The only thing they need now was…

They broke the kiss, only to glance over into the living room to find their precious children fast asleep on the couch.

With one look in her eye, he went to place the children upstairs before he came back to accept her thanks.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**SO HELLO AGAIN READERS! REVIEW PLEASE! **

**I thank you all who bear the burden of my long updates. Just a reminder to those who don't believe, I WILL Definitely FINISH THIS STORY, NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES. **

**Here comes the begging: REVIEW PLEASE! You know how I love reviews. **


	27. Come Back to Me

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 27: Come Back to Me**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

_Darkness was all around her, but she wasn't afraid because he was with her._

_"Sakura," he called out as he looked at her with those eyes. She tried to smile at him, but she found that she couldn't. She couldn't reach him, even though he was right in front of her. His eyes were full of regret and sadness, and Sakura just didn't understand it. He stood before her and spoke once more._

_"I love you," he said. Once again she tries to smile at him, but she couldn't. All she could do was question him with her eyes._

_"My Sakura…," he says as he looks over her appearance; her long white wedding gown flowing in the wind in front of the Sakura tree. She could finally speak._

_"Sai," she whispered. She walked toward him slowly; the moonlight illuminating their forms as they now stood before their spot by the lake in front of the cherry blossom tree._

_"I love you…" he says once more "…and I'm sorry," he said before he changed form._

_Sai raised his paintbrush and left long black slashes over him, until he changed into nothing but a shadow before her._

_"Sai" she shouted. She saw a strange pair of eyes materialize behind him, before it consumed him. Those serpentine yellow eyes smiled at her evilly as she screamed._

_"Sai" she screamed "SAI NO!" she screamed as the world turned blood red around her, and the shadow of Sai disintegrated before her into black shreds._

"SAI!" she screamed as her body gave a jolt and woke her up. She was breathing heavily, her body covered in sweat. She was shaking as she tried to sit up in bed. She looked around the room, not really knowing what was happening yet. All her body knew was she had to find him. She got up and out of bed, her vision still a bit hazed from the sudden awakening.

Her body did not recognize the layout of the new house as she rushed through it frantically, compared to the Kyoto house.

That was the first sign.

She went down the hall and saw that Sora's room was in a different spot that in was in the Kyoto House.

That was the second sign.

The walls were free of any of Sai's old paintings and pictures.

That was the third sign.

Her body slowed as it led her down the stairs and into the living room area. The moonlight was shining in from the large windows, illuminating her form and opening her eyes to what was happening.

Slowly she was beginning to understand now.

By the time her body had registered that this was not her old home in Kyoto…and that Sai was not here….that he was dead…and that she had begun to have the nightmares again…

Sakura fell onto her knees in her living room…and cried.

**…..**

A few hours later, it was time to get going to work. Sakura stared out the window; her thoughts in a whirlwind. She saw that Sasuke had pulled up and was waiting for her outside.

She hadn't realized that time had gone by so fast, but it was already January and she didn't even know how that happened. Not only that, but it was the 16th.

January 16th: the day she and Sai finally became husband and wife. The same day when she realized that she was pregnant with his child. It was the most bittersweet day of her life.

Today would have marked her 6th anniversary with him. She sighed when she recalled only celebrating two years of a happy marriage with her beloved, before she lost him for good.

It had been a while since she thought about Sai, and that made her feel all the more guilty because these days, her thoughts as well as her body, were constantly around another man.

Sasuke took his vow of being around her seriously. He was there every day to pick her up, drop her off, take her shopping, take the kids to school and back as well as their karate and ballet practice. There were the few times that he would sleep over, and when he did, there was little to no rest at all. Although this made her feel better about her protection, it also made her feel other things that she wasn't expecting.

Sora scurrying into her room distracted her from her thoughts.

"They're here Mommy," said Sora as he came into her room, ready for school. Sakura smiled at him and grabbed her purse.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV:**

Sasuke checked the time on his watch and eyed the second hand impatiently. Suki hummed happily in her car seat they both waited for Sora and Sakura to come out of their house so they can be on their way to school and work.

Sasuke wasn't kidding when he told Sakura that he would drive them everywhere they needed to be, especially under their current circumstances. He leaned back and took in a deep breath when he recalled the hectic week they had had and the information, or lack thereof, he had been working on that left him sleepless since last night. Before he could think about it some more, Sakura and Sora emerged from their home.

Right away, he noticed that something was wrong with her. His sensitive eyes noted the way the skin beneath her eyes were matted skillfully with makeup. That, paired with the slight puffiness of her eyes meant she had been crying.

His eyes zeroed in on Sora. He seemed happy enough, but Sasuke was going to keep an extra close watch on him as well, especially with his new research into this whole stalker business.

Sora was loaded up into the back seat, and Sakura took her place in front. She didn't say much on the way to the school, only talking when Suki greeted her. They drove to the school and after dropping the kids off, they drove to work. Sasuke noticed that she was once again spaced out. She didn't try to hold up a conversation the entire way to the hospital like she normally did. She was just quiet, and he found that it actually bothered him.

"Something wrong?" he asked as he kept his eyes on the road. Sakura's head snapped towards him from staring out the window. She didn't realize she was zoning out.

"I'll be a little late coming back today. I have a C-section scheduled for 3:00 PM and it might take a while," she said as they drove through the morning traffic. Truthfully, the C-section wouldn't take her much time at all, but given today's date, she felt she needed some alone time after work. She just had to be respectful of Sai no matter what. The fact that he was absent from her thoughts lately agitated her. She would spend this day to focus on him. But she didn't want to tell Sasuke for obvious reasons.

It would just open up that uncomfortable topic of whether or not she liked him for him, or his resemblance to Sai, and she was done with that conversation. It would not be brought up again and she wasn't going to give him any openings to attack her about it. She would keep her thoughts to herself.

"Hn," he said. "Then I'll wait for you," Sakura shook her head.

"No don't," she said. "The kids get off early from school today because of the festival tomorrow. Maybe you could pick them up and take them home until I'm done. That way they can get ready together," she said.

"I'm still coming to get you when you're done," he said. "Or did you think you were coming back alone?" he asked. Sakura sighed. He was getting more and more paranoid about her running off to find her assailant, when she had no plans whatsoever to do that.

"It's been weeks," said Sakura. "Nothing's happened to me. I'll be fine. And I don't have some hidden agenda to track him down myself if that's what you're thinking," she added.

"Nothing's happened to you because you were never alone," said Sasuke. "I'm not about to change that,"

"You know that I still have that police escort" she said while glancing at the undercover car that was still following them around by order of her father. Sasuke didn't even spare them a glance. In fact, if he had his way, they wouldn't even be around. It was extremely annoying to have them constantly on their tail.

Sasuke knew better than to assume that they were just there for protection. He could smell a hidden agenda from a mile away. He knew that Kakashi probably had those guys keep tabs on their relationship and just how much time they were spending together. With all the info he was getting, it probably explained his recent absence.

Sakura said that he was needed back in Kyoto, and that he would keep commuting back and forth to accommodate the schedule. Sasuke knew Kakashi didn't trust him and he couldn't really blame him for that.

He's a police commander. If he had any idea whatsoever of Sasuke's past…well, let's just say he would have to keep his eyes open at night. Kakashi was not to be underestimated. He knew skill and deathly intent when he saw it. He understood because he and Kakashi shared one thing in common.

They were both protective fathers who loved their only daughters. Nothing is more precious to a man than his baby girl.

So Sasuke couldn't complain. Kakashi was right not to trust him, but it was still annoying as hell.

"Fine," said Sakura. "I'll call you when I'm done," she said as he parked the car. Sasuke wasn't stupid. He knew she was in distance mode at the moment, although he didn't know why. Perhaps she was having second thoughts about him, but after the other night, he didn't think so.

…_her head hit the pillow, spilling her hair out like a halo against the black linens of his bed as he ravaged her. Their clothes were scattered around the room. Tonight they were completely alone. Both children were at a sleepover at Ino and Shikamaru's house. _

_His hands skillfully massaged and kneaded her breasts as she moaned beneath him. His movements were quick; The few chances they got to be together like this made it so that he couldn't play for long before the need to be inside her became too great. _

_She breathed heavily and moaned his name as he rapidly entered her. The headboard violently hit the wall behind it with every thrust he made, complimented with ever moan that came from her. His form hovered over hers as he watched her squirm in pleasure. _

_He loved watching the emotions play out on her flushed face as he made love to her .He loved the way her face would scrunch up when she wanted him to thrust faster or harder, and then the way she would moan when he complied with her wishes. It was his hidden guilty pleasure. _

_"..Uh...go faster already!" she groaned, making him smirk at her impatient hands roaming his back and reaching to grab his ass, pulling him closer to her. _

_"..Then say my name…Sakura," he said in a tone that would have made her come at that very moment. Sakura held on tight. Everything about him amazed and mesmerized her. Even when they were actually in the throes of passion, his voice alone was sexy enough to make her climax. _

_She wanted to be around him always. The more she was with him, the more she wanted to continue being with him. She missed him when he was away, and thought about him more each passing day. She wanted him; she needed him. _

_"Go faster now…Sasuke," she said in a breathy moan. Her emerald irises pierced his soul as if they were burning flames. "Sasuke…I want you," she whispered. "…Sasuke" _

_He would have smirked at her words but his body was sent into a testosterone fueled rage, making him increase his pace and pry her legs open wider. He thrust into her faster and harder than before, loving the way she arched her back and practically screamed his name with each plunge into her. _

_Her moans did things to him on the inside. They drove him insane. He wanted to hear more of his name coming from her lips. Only he would ever touch her like this. He groaned and gasped her name as she restricted herself on him. _

_Her legs increased their grip around his waist as the pressure continued to build. At long last, she arched her back once more, practically pushing her chest against his as she reached her climax. Sasuke continued to thrust into her until he reached his own peak and released into her. _

_He slumped his body over hers, capturing his plump gasping lips as he did so. She kissed him back fiercely between breaths. Her chest was still heaving from her climax. His kisses slid from her lips to her neck, then to her chest. He could feel her heart pounding as his lips planted kisses where they could before they went back to her lips. _

_Sasuke grabbed her and rolled onto his back, bringing her to rest on top of him, still locked in a kiss. His hands slid down her sides, grabbing and massaging the soft skin over her hips and thighs. _

_They stayed like that for a while; they're bodies sticking together from their sweat and gravity. _

_Sakura moaned softly and broke the kiss, looking at him with clouded eyes. He met her stare with equal lust as he took in her glowing face. She managed a weak smile and leaned in for another soft kiss before resting her head against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat as well against her forehead, making her sigh in content. _

_He gently turned on his side, draping his arm over her and bringing her as close to him as possible. She in turn, wrapped her arms around him and settled comfortably against his embrace. It was here in these rare moments alone with him where she felt the safest and most comfortable. _

_She tilted her head up and gave him an exhausted smile before meeting his lips again and drifting off to sleep. _

_"Goodnight Sasuke," she whispered as she closed her eyes for the night. She smiled when she felt his arm tighten its grip over her and his lips press against her forehead before he uttered her favorite goodnight greeting. _

_"Hn," he said…_

She walked a bit before him, confirming that for whatever reason, she was intentionally putting distance between them. Sasuke's longer legs however made it easy to catch up with her until they reached the inside of the main lobby.

"I'll be waiting for your call then," he said as he walked towards the stairs, leaving Sakura to ride the elevators alone. He would respect her distance thing, at least for now. Sakura simply nodded and allowed herself to watch him take the stairs until he was out of sight. Sighing, she entered the elevator and braced herself for the day ahead.

* * *

**Kurenai's POV:**

"Cancel it," said Kakashi via satellite conference. Kurenai raised an eyebrow at his impossible demand. She was currently in her "classroom" while her children were out with Lee doing their physical education.

"Are you serious Kakashi?" she asked while leaning back in her chair and giving him a look through the laptop. "How do you expect me to cancel a district wide festival?" she asked.

"There are a number of ways to make it happen," he said "Actually I just need you to spread the word throughout the school about its cancelation. With this current situation we can't risk hundreds of civilians out and about, with a great number of them being kids," he said. Kurenai sighed.

"I see," she said. She knew that he was not talking about Sakura and Sora this time. This time, it was a different problem. "How's the investigation going on those missing people?"

"Not very well," he replied "The pattern is too random. Whoever this person is, he's not very picky with his victims,"

"So you're thinking this is the work of just one person then?" she asked. "Because the scale of people missing is just too much for one individual,"

"I know," said Kakashi. "But I have to think that this whole plot has a mastermind. Shikamaru and Shino think there's a greater use to the victims than just slaying, simply because no bodies have turned up. Several theories are floating around, including the possibility that the victims are alive somewhere. There's just nothing conclusive,"

"If Shikamaru is on it, then I have no doubts you'll find some leads," said Kurenai. "Anyway how are you taking this separation from Sakura?" she asked. She knew it must have been killing him to be away from her so much, but he was the CIA commander and was needed for other operations. He couldn't monopolize all his time for Sakura.

"I can handle it," said Kakashi. "I've got eyes on her that I trust stationed everywhere she goes," he said as if it was a normal thing. Kurenai sweat-dropped. She wondered if Asuma would be just as overprotective when their baby came. She was currently four months pregnant, and was getting an idea of how he would react.

"Okay then," said Kurenai. "I'll begin spreading the word," she said referring to the festival. Kakashi nodded and exited the screen.

* * *

**Sakura's Office: **

After getting settled in her office, Sakura noticed she had a few messages waiting for her on her answering machine.

_"Hello Dr. Haruno. This is Konoha Leaf Academy's events coordination director calling to inform you and all parents of Leaf academy students that our district wide festival has been canceled, due to community concerns and law enforcement public warnings. In regards to the safety of our children and families, the festival has been put on hold indefinitely. We apologize for your-"_

Sakura erased the message. Great, she thought. She could only imagine how disappointed the children were going to be. Suki's bubbly little face was suddenly transformed into tears in her mind.

"Too suspicious," she said to herself as she leaned back in her chair and blew out a puff of air. Her thoughts immediately led her to Sasuke and the possibility that he had something to do with this. She really didn't want to believe that, seeing as how he seemed sincere enough the other night, but still she couldn't dismiss it.

She wouldn't put it past him to throw his corporate weight around when it catered to him; but to go that far? She couldn't exactly accuse him without evidence, so she did the next best thing.

"I need a muffin," she said before grabbing her coat and some money out of her purse. She missed the muffins from the cart outside the hospital and now was as good a time as any to grab one, while it was still morning. She should have thought about it before she came all the way up here.

Sakura managed to slip away from prying eyes long enough to sneak down to the coffee cart that was stationed at the front entrance of the hospital. She really had a craving for the blueberry muffins they provided and made it a point to sneak out and get one.

The breeze felt refreshing on her skin. There were plenty of people here today, making it seem more lively than usual. She made her way over to the cart and greeted the cashier.

"Hello there Doctor," said the vendor who ran the cart. "Well don't you look down in the dumps of life," she said analyzing her tired expression. "I haven't seen you down here in some time,"

"I know, I haven't been able to slip away," said Sakura "I'll have a small coffee and a blueberry muffin please,"

"Better make that a large," the vendor said. "And I'll get you the biggest muffin we have. You need some meat on your bones," she said before she went to prepare her order. Sakura had to crack a smile at that comment. After all the self-consciousness over those bitchy nurses claiming she's gained weight or was pregnant, it was nice to hear someone saying she needed more weight. Sakura sighed and had to constantly weave her fingers through her hair to prevent wind damage as she waited for her order.

"Yo, Sakura," came a familiar voice followed by the sound of a dog barking. Sakura turned and was surprised when she saw Kiba walking up to her; his familiar red triangular tattoos hard to miss in the crowd. His huge white dog Akamaru was obviously his most recognizable partner. Said dog happily jumped up on her in his excitement, trying to lick her face.

"Ohhh hi Akamaru," she said while trying to balance herself against the giant dog.

"Down boy, let her breath" said Kiba as he pulled on the leash. He hated keeping Akamaru on a leash, but it was the law.

"Hi Kiba" she said. "What brings you here?" she asked while petting Akamaru. "You're a good doggie aren't you?" she said as she scratched his ears. Akamaru happily let her scratch his ears.

"You're pretty good with dogs," said Kiba. She simply smiled at him.

"Yeah well, I grew up with an army of them," she said. "So I'm used to it. My dad still brings them over from time to time. They're the best, and so well behaved," she said. Kiba smirked as if she had complimented him, which was weird.

"Anyway, what are you doing here?" she asked as the clerk handed her the muffin and coffee over the counter.

"Nothing much," said Kiba as he took a quick glance around the area. "Just here to visit a friend at the hospital," he said.

"Oh," she said. "Well if you don't mind me asking, what happened to your friend?"

"Nothing, she's having a baby," said Kiba. "She should be meeting me here soon. The father can't make it so he asked if I could accompany her,"

"Really?" she asked. "Does she happen to be one of my patients?" she asked half-heartedly. As much as she liked Kiba, she just couldn't pull out of the fog that was her brain.

"Does the name Yuhei Kurenai ring a bell?" he asked. Sakura's jaw dropped. That actually snapped her out of it for a moment. Sora's teacher? Both Ino and Kiba knew her? What were the odds?

"Actually yes it does," she said. "How do you know her? And I assume you know Asuma as well," she said.

"Eh we go way back," said Kiba. "When I was a kid I was in the ninja scouts program and they used to be scout leaders. Back in the day, Kurenai was my leader. And they used to have pets way back then so they were regulars at my family's pet training center," he said. "What?" he asked as he tried to decipher her expression.

"Nothing really," she said. "It's just that everyone I've know in my life seem to know each other here, and it's not exactly a small town either," she said. "But it's a pretty small world I guess,"

"Yup," said Kiba. "You never know who you'll run into here," he said. Just then, Akamaru became still, alerting Kiba. Kiba already got that death like feeling in that instant. Someone was watching them, and Kiba swallowed as he felt the jealous waves coming from an unknown source. Sasuke had to be nearby.

Sakura looked up at Kiba thoughtfully. His comment made her realize that he was there the night she was attacked in her home. How come she didn't remember up until now?

"Hey Kiba," said Sakura in a thoughtful voice. "I just realized that I never properly thanked you," she said. That distracted Kiba long enough from trying to find Sasuke from killing him.

"Eh…huh?" he asked stupidly.

"That night Sora and I were attacked," she said. "You were there, and you saved us. I remember now. After I passed out I never thought to call you and thank you for that," she said. "So thank you…so much. We were incredibly lucky you were there," she said with such sincere eyes that Kiba had to fight an embarrassed and guilty blush, regardless of the tattoos that covered his cheeks.

"Uhh…hey it wasn't a problem at all… really," he said while scratching the back of his head. "I was just glad I could help. I only wish I could have caught the bastard," he said.

"No," said Sakura. "I'm glad you didn't have to. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you either," she said. "I just feel bad that didn't remember until now,"

"Hey don't worry about it," said Kiba. "We're all a pretty close knit pack here, as you've noticed. We've got to look out for our own," he said. Sakura smiled. Kiba was such a nice guy. She enjoyed his canine spirit.

"You're right," said Sakura. "I'm glad I ran into you today," she said before her pager went off. "And I have to go. I'll see you around Kiba. Bye Akamaru," she said as she patted the dog one last time. Kiba waved as she left before turning around and trying to find the source of that death glare. He looked everywhere, but Sasuke was nowhere in sight.

Kiba shook of the chills and tried not to focus on the creepiness of it all. Sasuke was one damn possessive bastard.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV:**

He could see her, even from his office on the top floor; her hair sticking out like a target sign as it blew in the wind. Sasuke smirked when he thought about the fact that she still wore his necklace every day. He was banking on that to keep her safe. This way, if she so much as made a single step outside a certain perimeter that was off limits, his watch would alert him, telling him exactly where she was.

He let out a breath when he saw her go to the coffee cart outside. It was a safe enough activity for her at least, until he saw Kiba walk up to her. His eyes narrowed at the man.

Sasuke didn't have anything personal against Kiba. He was a good enough guy with an obsession for dogs. Plus he was married with a kid of his own, but that didn't stop Sasuke from disliking his presence around her. Something about the way Kiba oriented himself around her was off. He was talking to her, but he was looking for someone as well. Even the dog behaved odd. It was oddly alert for a canine. It was similar to the way Kakashi's dogs behaved like guard dogs.

His eyes stayed glued to her from his view at the top of the building. He was proud of his excellent vision and used it to his advantage. When he saw that she had gone back inside the hospital, he decided to go back to work. He pushed the button to fog up his floor-to-ceiling windows so that he could get back to "work".

His state of the art holographic computer system was up and running, displaying an assortment of his latest files and current events that peaked his interest if it could somehow be traced back to him. He was constantly on the watch for anything that might trigger an investigation from any of his former assassination assignments from the past. Constantly looking over your shoulder and covering up your tracks was a pain in the ass, regardless of how many precautions you take beforehand. But that was for later. Now he had a completely different agenda: Protection.

His current project: Luring out Sakura's damned stalker

He had until the festival to figure out a plan of action to get the bastard.

Sasuke had been trying to find out exactly who was stalking Sakura with the little information he was given. He was pretty much given nothing except for Sora's descriptions of a white haired man with a tattoo in the shape of the letter "D", and that lead him nowhere fast. He thought perhaps the letter might have been a local gang insignia, but nothing came up in his research. Even though he had one of the most advanced super computers specially made from his former assassin days. Back then he needed to know who was who and how to get to his targets before acting.

He even tried looking up Sakura's history, which was hard to narrow down because she was such a well-known and somewhat famous person in the medical community. It was pretty much a search overload filled with her medical accomplishments. The rest of her personal history was suspiciously limited. To make matters even more suspicious, there was absolutely no information whatsoever on her late husband Sai.

He had tried to look up the name Sai Arisugaki, hoping to find something about his history with Sakura, and was extremely surprised when absolutely nothing had come up. There were no birth records, family or medical history and any educational or occupational records. What was even more puzzling was that there was no marriage documentation. Sakura said she was married in Kyoto, but the Japanese family registrar showed no such legal union between the two. Even when he was researching Sakura, there were no records of her marriage.

He sat down at his desk with his screen up and running. Displayed in the air before him was everything he managed to research about Sakura in her youth.

"Mr. Uchiha" came the secretary's voice from the intercom. "You have a phone call from Konoha Leaf Academy," she said.

"Transfer the call through," he said as he took a seat in his chair. The line rang and he picked up the call.

"Hello Mr. Uchiha. This is Konoha Leaf Academy's events coordination director calling to inform you that…"

Sasuke listened as the person on the other line gave him the news that the festival was being cancelled due to community safely concerns. They apologized to him repeatedly, seeing as how the Uchiha family was the top benefactor to the school. He also saw that they sent him an e-mail as well.

Sasuke cursed as he closed that particular e-mail on his desktop computer. His current plan of handling this stalker problem just went straight to hell. Apparently, the "local police" saw fit to cancel major public gatherings involving children and or any other non-government activities due to the current nation-wide missing person's situation. The missing rate was at an alarming high, forcing Law enforcement to go so far as to cancel simple festivities.

If he did some digging, he could bet that a certain police commander put in his two cents into canceling this event. Even though Sasuke wasn't much for festivities, it still pissed him off somewhat. He didn't like having a second puppet master competing with him for control, and it was Sakura's father of all people.

On the other hand, he was planning on dangling Sakura in front of a psycho bastard just so he can kick some ass. He was glad he didn't have to do that now. On the down side, he had to come up with a new angle to get this bastard but what? What other option has he not researched about her? What other connection could she possibly have to her "husband"?

His eyes scanned the room absently, until they landed on the picture frames that adorned his desktop. Then it came to him as he focused on Sora's picture at the karate match. He found his new angle. Of course there would be another connection; a biological, genetically undeniable one at that. How did he not think of it before hand?

Sora, their child.

Surely his birth information would give him a new window into her past and his birth registrar should definitely give him access to his father, or at least a picture of the man.

Renewed with the possibilities, Sasuke got to work. He pulled up the birth files that dated back five years and singled out the Kyoto family registrar.

Then he pulled up the birth certificates from Sunagakure's hospital, and tried to access Sora's birth certificate. He felt like he struck gold when he saw the official form magnified in front of his holographic screen and began to read it.

**KYOTO CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH**

**Child's Name:**

Arisugaki, Haruno-Hatake Sora

**Sex:**

Male

**Date of Birth:**

July 23 200...

**Time:**

11:30 PM

**Weight:**

6lbs 10oz

**Mother:**

Haruno, Sakura: Age: 20

**Father:**

**UNLISTED/ WITHDRAWN**

**Place of birth:**

Kyoto Sunagakure Hospital- Kyoto, Japan

ATTENDING PHYSICIAN: Dr. Tsunade

Nurse Practitioner: Shizune…

Father: unlisted…Father: unlisted…Father: unlisted…

"What the hell?" Sasuke had to stand up and place his palms squarely on his massive desk in disbelief.

It echoed in his mind over and over again. Sora's father was unlisted? The questions were burning in his mind for the one explanation he wanted the most.

What the hell did this all mean? Why wouldn't he be listed in the birth certificate? There was only one real way to actually find out, and that would be to ask Sakura herself. But he couldn't and he very well knew that. Though his curiosity was burning his mind, he couldn't let her know about what he was up to. She would distrust him for sure, but there was no other way to learn about her without asking her.

Sasuke kept his gaze on Sakura whenever he could. The questions kept piling up in his mind. The more he tried to find out about her, the less useful information he came up with. He couldn't ask her directly without having to explain himself. But not knowing about her past was truly troubling.

But a small part of Sasuke felt a strange emotion when he saw Sora's date of birth. Ironically enough, he was pleasantly surprised to know that Sora shared his own birthday. He was born on July twenty-third five years ago, which was also Sasuke's birthday. Sharing a birthday with Sora was going to be interesting to say the least, but it gave him an opening to begin talking to Sakura about it.

He watched her closely in the days following the incident. She didn't appear to be hiding anything specifically from him, not that he could detect anyway. Sometimes he would catch her daydreaming with a distant look in her eyes, but she would snap back in to reality if someone called out to her.

He didn't want to think that she might be considering taking this matter into her own hands, but knowing her, or as much as he thinks he knows her, she just might do something stupid and try to go after the perp on her own.

Not if he had anything to say about it. That's why he's been working round the clock to make sure she's in his presence as much as possible. But his observations of Sakura did strike an unusual finding. It wasn't so much Sakura as it was the people around her. He recalled one incident the other day.

_"Happy birthday Sakura!" said Naruto as he gave her a bear hug while she was trying to read a patients chart. She flipped out and smacked him upside the head before quickly apologizing for her quick temper. Hinata came by in a rush. _

_"Sorry Naruto," said Sakura. "But my birthday isn't until March 28th," she said before looking curious. "I don't recall telling you when my birthday was…what made you think it was today?" she asked. Hinata spoke before Naruto could, which was odd. _

_"That's because it's my birthday today," she said with her back turned to Sakura and her eyes focused intently on Naruto. Naruto visibly swallowed and gave off a nervous laugh before hugging Hinata and apologizing for making the mistake. Sakura smiled at them curiously before shaking it off, wishing Hinata a happy birthday and going back to work. Once she was gone, Naruto relaxed as if he had just dodged a bullet. _

But he didn't. Hinata had blatantly lied about her birthday, which was actually in August, and the Dobe knew that for sure. That was extremely strange in Sasuke's eyes. But this strange behavior wasn't limited to Hinata and Naruto. Neji and Tenten also demonstrated highly cautious behavior around her as well as Ino and Shikamaru and even Tsunade at times.

Something didn't add up.

The way they all oriented themselves around her was trapped in Sasuke's mind. Their conduct was just so off at times. It was almost as if they were circling her; forming an impenetrable barrier around her. The way they would all catch each other's eye from time to time or make slight gestures with their hands and face. It was like a discreet form of communication, almost as if they had something to hide. It was just unusual for them to be as coordinated, with Sakura as their center.

But there couldn't be anything more to that. He had known those people for years, and even done background searches on them; nothing out of the ordinary whatsoever. They were just a bunch of medical professionals.

But still, that was just too sophisticated for communication. Something wasn't right. They knew things about her, and he won't rest until he knew them too.

* * *

**Pediatric Exam room: Sakura's POV:**

"Make sure they come back for their checkups regularly," said Sakura as she gazed at the three adorable Hyuga babies who came in for their checkup. "Oh what am I saying, of course I'll know when they need to come in, yes I will," she said as she cuddled with Hizashi in her arms and kissed his head, which was now covered with silky dark chocolate brown baby hair, no doubt inherited from his father.

"I swear Tennie," said Sakura. "Your babies hit the genetic jackpot! Can you imagine what a looker your boys will be when they're older?" she asked while turning with the baby in her arms. "I mean look at this hair!" she said while indicating Hizashi's head. "It's practically chocolate in baby form. My god-babies are beautiful!" she said with mock tears.

Tenten smiled as Sakura cuddled with her babies.

"Yes, my babies are pretty aren't they?" said Tenten with a smug tone. "I can thank my sex-god husband for that," she said making Sakura chuckle. Hinata came in at that moment, blushing at the last comment. "Hey Hinata," said Tenten. "Long time no see,"

"Hi Tenten. Hi babies," she said affectionately at the two in their baby carriers. "Are we all done with their exams?" she asked Sakura.

"Yes they are," said Sakura as she put Hizashi back in his carrier. "Well Tenten, they're doing great. I'll just need to see them back here in another few months for their immunizations and boosters. Your first scream-fest at the doctors is a maternal rite of passage," she said.

"Great," said Tenten sarcastically. "That multiplied by three should be a hoot," she said. Sakura chuckled.

"How's Neji holding up by the way?" she asked. Tenten made a sour face which puzzled Sakura.

"I married a machine Sakura," said Tenten. "He refuses to take a break and relax. Every time one of the babies cries he jumps to the occasion and refuses to let me do anything. I need him to take a break! I need him rested and not putting his life in danger! I'm their mother for crying out loud!" she huffed. Sakura gave her a sour look in return.

"From sex-god to machine," said Sakura. "You do realize that you're complaining of something that most women dream of right?" she asked. "I mean what's so wrong with your husband participating in all the baby stuff that needs to be done. And you have three babies!" she said before registering what she said previously. "Hey hold on, what the hell did you mean by Neji putting his life in danger?"

Tenten froze when she realized her slip. "Uh I meant his career," she said looking back at Sakura's puzzled face. "He's a surgeon and he needs his rest in order to perform. How's he going to operate if he's sleep deprived. He'll put his career in jeopardy and I can't come back to work as it is," she said.

On the inside, Tenten worried. Neji was still doing his missions for the CIA on top of parenting the babies. She knew he was strong, but Neji needed to take a break, especially before each mission. If he wasn't on top of his game, he could be killed, and that's something Tenten feared the most ever since the babies were born. She couldn't lose him. She had seen firsthand what losing Sai did to Sakura, and she prayed to God that that would never happen to her. She wouldn't be able to survive it. She didn't have Sakura's strength.

"Don't worry Tenten," said Sakura. "Neji's a smart guy. He won't operate if he's not able to. He wouldn't make that bad call," she said. "Besides, you have me. I'll help you with the babies and anything you need. I'll even get Neji to take a long vacation for a while just so you guys can get adjusted," she said.

Tenten smiled. She knew that if anything ever happened, Sakura would be there for her in a heartbeat.

"Yeah why should I worry when I've got you?" said Tenten. "Maybe your inhuman strength can knock some sense into Neji's rock hard skull," she said while sighing. Hinata chuckled.

"I think Neji will be more careful if you talk to him about how you feel," said Hinata. "It's just in his nature to be protective. He has a lot to protect now doesn't he?" she said while looking at the babies.

Sakura smiled. After Tenten and Hinata took the babies home, Sakura finished off the rest of her day seeing as many patients as she could and doing that scheduled C-section in record time. Now she had about an hour or two until she could go home.

She retired to her office, and slumped in her chair, exhausted from her day. It made her think about things that she hadn't thought about it a while.

After holding the Hyuga babies today, Sakura's arms felt too light. She missed the feeling of holding a baby. Sora was already five, and he was growing up fast. She missed his baby days and playing with him and his chubby little cheeks. She missed when she and Sai would fight over who got to hold him. She took the picture of Sai and herself holding onto a very happy Sora somewhere outdoors.

Those were some of the best times of her life. Sai was such a great father. He loved Sora more than anything in this world. There was a light in him that was shining so strongly every time he held and played with Sora. Sai introduced Sora to the world of art at a very early age. She remembered that he took a giant roll of paper and scattered it all over the house. He then dipped Sora's feet into some black ink for nearly a week before Sora finally took his first steps onto the paper.

She smiled when she recalled the memory of one-year-old Sora taking his first steps towards them.

Sai brilliantly captured Sora's first steps in a way that she could see for the rest of her life. That very same scroll of paper was tucked away safely in her home, along with the rest of Sai's things.

And that's how she held onto Sai. She put him away. She saved him somewhere in storage as if he had no place in her life today. The sting in her heart came back with a vengeance, because he was still very much a part of her. Today of all days was about him. She was horrible.

Sakura didn't know when the tears came, but they were there. Big fat droplets of water rolled down her cheeks and dropped onto her hands and she held the picture of her family. She missed him so much it hurt. She was still bleeding from her loss.

She was terrible. She was absolutely terrible for letting Sai drift from her thoughts lately. She almost welcomed the throbbing sensation in her chest as the pain from losing him seeped back into her being. She missed him so much. It was so unfair. Why did he have to die? Why did life take him away from her? What did he ever do to deserve dying? Why did Sora have to lose his father?

The door suddenly opened.

"Hey Sakura I was-" Naruto stopped abruptly when he saw Sakura look up with a tear stained face from her desk. The sight made him panic. "Hey what happened?" he asked as he shut the door behind him. "Are you okay? Did something happen?" he asked as he came around her desk. "Did that Teme do something to you?" he asked with an angry expression "Sakura what's wrong? You're freaking me out," said Naruto. He had never seen her cry.

Sakura quickly wiped the tears from her eyes with her fingers and placed the picture down on the desk. "No, Sasuke didn't do anything Naruto," she said. "I was just…having a moment. I'm okay," she said. Naruto didn't believe her.

"Like hell you are," he said while standing before her. "Come on tell me what happened. Is there anything I can do?" he asked. Sakura gave him a small smile.

"I wish there was something you could do," she said quietly. "But you can't," she said while looking down at the picture again. "No one can," Naruto looked down and saw that she was holding a picture frame. When he caught a glance at Sai in the photo, he suddenly knew why she was crying. He remembered that today was her wedding anniversary.

"Was there something you needed?" she asked. Naruto directed his gaze away from the picture and looked back at her. That's when he really took a good look at her. Sakura was normally so strong and steady, but today, she just looked tired.

"No," said Naruto. "Not really," he said while walking to her side and sitting down on the edge of her desk. Normally Sakura would have shoved him off, but she just didn't have the strength. "I'd like to know why you're crying though,"

Sakura looked away from him and back towards the picture. She picked it up and gave it to him. Naruto took the picture and studied the image.

"I was just remembering Sai…my husband," she said. "Today is…or would have been our 6th wedding anniversary," she said. Naruto looked at the picture more closely. Seeing Sai in a photograph like this, holding a baby with a wife, was weird. He looked like a normal guy with a family. It was so beyond the Sai he knew, but then again, Sai was full of surprises.

"So this is your husband," said Naruto, keeping up the façade. "I guess you're into the dark brooding types huh?" he said earning him a playful hit to the arm, before the tears welled up in her eyes again. She tried to stop them, but they just kept coming.

"I'm sorry," she said as she continued to wipe the tears away. "I just...," she couldn't even speak anymore. Naruto lifted her out of the chair and brought her into his arms, holding her against him. Sakura let herself be comforted by him. She couldn't completely fall apart on him now. "I can't stop crying," she said.

"Then cry," he said. "You're allowed to cry sometimes. So just cry," he said while holding her tighter. She did just that. For the next five minutes she cried against him, getting it all out. Naruto wondered how often she cried for Sai. He understood why she did of course. They fought so hard to be together, only to be torn apart in the end. Even Kakashi sensei lost it with guilt afterwards.

What Naruto hated was how useless he and the rest of them were when it came to that situation. It wasn't their place to say anything in the matter. Naruto considered Sai and friend, no matter how much of a pain in the ass he was. But he promised Sai one thing on the day Sora was born.

_"I need someone I can trust," said Sai as he surveyed the damage. He had witnessed Naruto's ability for the first time, and he now held Naruto in a higher regard for it. The damage they were surrounded in spoke volumes about his abilities. He was just the man Sai needed right now._

_"What can you trust me with after what happened here?" Naruto asked. He was expecting Sai to give him one of those fake smiles and comment on his manhood once again, and was surprised when he was met with a dead set stare. He was serious this time._

_"I know," said Sai. "That's why you're the only one I'm coming to," he said. "You have this ability beyond anyone else here that lets me know I can trust you," he said. "Right now, that's all I need," he said, much to Naruto's confusion._

_"What the hell are you talking about?" said Naruto. "How's being a living time bomb going to help anyone? Your ass is on the line and Kakashi sensei was recently out for your blood. You shouldn't even be here talking to me, but I figure you either got something important to say, or a death wish," he said. Sai just gave him his signature fake smile._

_"That's why I know I can trust you," said Sai. Naruto gave him an annoyed look. "And I'm not talking about your ability. I mean that you're the kind of idiot who would put someone else's life ahead of your own," he said._

_"So what do you want?" asked Naruto. "And does Sakura know you're out here?" he asked. Sai looked off to the side, as if mentioning Sakura was too hard to even acknowledge._

_"Sakura…is why I'm here," he said. "Today…I became a father," said Sai. Naruto looked up in surprise. He didn't know that Sakura already had the baby. Sai saw his expression and grinned._

_"I know what you're thinking," said Sai. "The baby came quicker than we thought. It's all happening so fast," he said before losing his grin and replacing it with a far off look. "Everything is happening too fast," he said. "And I don't know how much I can control now," he said giving Naruto a pointed look._

_"So what do you want from me?" asked Naruto. "I don't see how I fit into you having a kid," he said. Sai grinned once more._

_"Well it's your Godchild after all," said Sai, making Naruto take on another surprised face. "Sakura's making Hyuga and his girl the official Godparents, but I need some more assurance than them," _

_"What the…you want me to be your kids Godfather?" said Naruto. "Why? Why me?" he asked. Not that the idea was bad. In fact, Naruto kind of got a kick out of the idea of a new family member. Hell, he was already entertaining the idea of being a Godfather with Sasuke's wife being pregnant at the moment._

_"Because…I trust you," said Sai. "There's no one else I would ever leave to care for my child. Not even Kakashi," he added. Naruto's look turned hard at that point._

_"Planning on going somewhere Sai?" he asked in a threatening leave-Sakura-and-I'll-kill-you tone. Sai just grinned once more._

_"That's exactly why I'm asking you," said Sai. "Even though you've never been allowed to know her, you care about Sakura as if she were your own sister. You'd protect her with your life…as I would. I will never leave her, but if something should happen to me, Naruto, I want you to take care of them," he said. "I need to know that they can count on you, if they couldn't count on me," _

_"What makes you think something's going to happen to you?" asked Naruto. "You're an ANBU Blackops Root division agent. Death won't come easily to you," _

_"I entertain death every day I'm out there," said Sai. "And now my greatest weakness was born only hours ago. There's a reason why Danzo is so against family ties in ROOT. I need to know that I can count on you, should anything ever happen to me," he said with an almost pleading look in his eyes. That look was enough to make Naruto concede._

_"Okay," said Naruto. Sai began to walk away, eager to get back to the hospital._

_"And relay a message to Kakashi for me," he said while walking away. "Tell him I have a son," he said while looking back at him with the first genuine smile that Naruto has ever seen on him. "Tell him that his Grandsons name…is Sora," he said with the most content look Sai had ever shown._

Naruto couldn't help but think that Sai could feel his end coming soon. He was gone two years after that. As he held Sakura in his arms, he was glad he promised to protect her. She was still hurting, even after all this time.

"Thanks Naruto," said Sakura as she rested her head against his chest. She had stopped crying, but Naruto knew that she was far from alright, so he just held her for a while longer.

"Any time Sakura," said Naruto. "You know you can come to me for anything right? Anything you need, just name it and I'll make it happen. Especially if it involves some ass kicking to a certain Teme with a stick up his ass that we all know and adore" he said making Sakura chuckle and pull away.

"I will, trust me," she said. "Thanks for letting me breakdown for a bit. I don't know what came over me," she said. He looked at her sadly.

"It's called grief Sakura," said Naruto. "And if I ever Lost Hinata, I know I'd be a mess. Probably more so than you, believe it," he said. Sakura nodded.

"Hey…can you not mention this to anyone?" she asked. "I don't want people to be on their toes around me. I'm fine, really," she said, even though his look told her he didn't believe her one bit.

"You could talk to Sasuke about it," said Naruto. She shook her head.

"No, especially not Sasuke," she said quickly. "Please Naruto don't say anything to him about me crying, or why I was upset for that matter. He's got enough to deal with as it is,"

"Sakura…that bastards been my best friend since grade school, actually even sooner since our moms were supposedly chummy while pregnant. I know him better than anyone out there and believe me when I say that you are not something he feels the need to deal with," he said. "He cares about you…a lot," he added.

Sakura dropped her eye contact from him.

"I've never seen him look at anyone one the way he looks at you," he continued. "He thinks he's subtle, but I can sense it in him. That possessive bastards not going to let you get away from him, at least not without a fight, and unfortunately you know he'll win," he said with a cheeky grin. "Unless you want me to destroy him for you, in which case I'd be glad to help,"

"It's not him Naruto," she said.

"What? It's you?" he said. "You should see the way you look at him when you think no one else is looking," he said making her tilt her head to the side. "I mean you guys practically screw each other with your eyes when you pass each other. Subtly is not your specialty," he said making her blush uncontrollably.

"Naruto!" she said in a flustered voice. "We do NOT…screw each other with our eyes," she said even thought there was plenty of that going on behind the scenes. "Who talks like that anyway?" she asked. Naruto grinned in that fox like manner.

"I call it like I see it," he said "Anyway if you need some other form of getting your emotions out, try coming out to my old training ground just outside the city. It's a great place to work out and get in the zone. Great stress reliever too," he added. "It's a hidden dojo near the mountains. I could help you train and everything,"

Sakura thought about that idea and actually liked the sound of that. What better way to feel productive about that damn stalker situation than to get her skills back. She was surprised she hadn't thought of that before. Of course she wasn't going to go parading her fists around to attract the creep. Sasuke would bust a vein if she did.

"You know…that sounds like a great idea," she said as she wiped her eyes with a tissue. "I'd like to go with you the next time you're heading out there,"

"Great!" said Naruto "We can go tomorrow. You have the work day off right? I can take off and we can get some crunch time at the Dojo," he said. "I'll make sure Sasuke knows about it and agrees,"

"Sounds good," said Sakura. She smiled at Naruto grin and noticed that the weight in her chest wasn't there anymore. Talking to Naruto actually made her feel better.

"There's that smile," he said as he saw that happy expression. Sakura couldn't have been more grateful to have someone like Naruto in her life. He truly was a great friend. She couldn't help herself as she gave him another hug, making him chuckle in embarrassment.

"Thanks Naruto," she said. "You're a good friend," she said. It was so true. He was like the sun; radiating his warmth and happiness into her very being.

"Anytime Sakura," he said as he hugged her back. "Anytime,"

* * *

Naruto walked briskly to Sasuke's office. Even though Sakura didn't want him too, he felt the need to tell Sasuke what was going on. Technically, he never said yes to her promise.

"Yo" said Naruto as he entered Sasuke's office without knocking. Sasuke, who was used to it by now, didn't even budge from his work.

"I just ran into Sakura in her office," said Naruto. "She practically had a meltdown in front of me. Just keep in mind that today's marks her anniversary with her late husband," he said. Sasuke couldn't help but glare.

Here he was trying to dig up info on Sakura with the most advanced research system in the country, and the Dobe walks in with a random fact about her. How the hell did he know about her wedding date?

"And how would you know about that?" he asked. Naruto hesitated for a moment before responding.

"She told me," he said. That part was at least true. "So I wanted to know if you had any idea about it," he said

"Clearly I didn't," said Sasuke, though he did suspect that something was brewing in that mind of hers. He should have known it was tied to him. Sasuke always thought of her husband with a slight disdain. He couldn't help it. Not only was there no information on that guy, but he wasn't even alive, yet he was still in the way of getting to Sakura.

Sasuke knew that there was some rough history in their beginnings, but no one had told him the whole story. Everyone seemed to know more about it than he did. Hell even the Dobe knew today was her blasted wedding anniversary. His patience was seriously being tested.

"Just watch yourself around her," said Naruto. "She's in a delicate state right now and she can break just like that," he said making a snapping gesture. Sasuke analyzed Naruto on the spot. The way he was talking about her was laced with familiarity, even though he's known her just as long as he has.

"I know her enough to act accordingly," said Sasuke.

"Sure you do," said Naruto. "Anyway, why don't you do something nice for her for once? Take her out or something. You can leave the kids with me if you want,"

That was a tempting offer on his part, but Sasuke wasn't so sure. One thing he noticed was that Sakura tended to get particularly clingy to the kids when she was upset; kind of like they were living teddy bears or something.

"Hn," said Sasuke.

Naruto went on about taking the kids tonight, whether or not Sakura agreed to it. What she really needed, at least in Naruto's opinion, was some time alone with Sasuke. He went on explaining an agenda that consisted of pizza, movies and video games ending it with a sleep over for Sora and Suki. Sasuke agreed, which wasn't surprising.

He wasn't stupid. He wouldn't pass up a night alone with Sakura.

**Later that night…**

At first, Sakura was annoyed that Sasuke allowed Sora and Suki to be whisked away by their lovable Uncle Naruto. She was planning on having a quiet night at home, not talking about her obvious depression and just cuddling with those two kids until she was satisfied as they went to pick up them up from school.

But when Naruto came to pick them up with promises of pizza, ice cream, movies and video games, the kids were sold. They decided to go hang out with him, leaving her alone with Sasuke. Sakura felt a brief moment of abandonment, but couldn't say no to those happy little faces.

Now it was just her and Sasuke.

She knew he wanted this. Sasuke wanted to know what was up with her. It was obvious from the way she would catch him looking at her on the way back to his house, on his own territory. He wanted answers, and she knew he deserved them.

He offered to take her out to eat, but she insisted on staying at the house. She didn't have the mood to go out.

She made a tomato inspired dinner that night, just to appease him somewhat, and decided to pop out a bottle of wine that she knew was chilling in the fridge. She knew she would need it tonight, and being a little loose would help with the dreaded conversation she would have to face with him.

As if the weather picked up on her mood, the clouds released a downpour, similar to the one on the night their first, and only, date. Sakura wanted to laugh at the rains timing.

Sasuke sat down with her in her kitchen and ate in silence alongside her. For about twenty minutes, they only passed the time with the most mundane conversation such as work and the kids. He knew that she knew what he was leading up to. The wine she busted out was proof enough she knew it was coming. Now was the time.

After ten more minutes of silence, save for the rain, he began the interrogation.

"You know what I want to know," said Sasuke as he watched her take a sip from her third glass of wine. He noticed that she wasn't particularly eating much either. Sakura put the glass down and stared at him. He had already drunk two entire glasses of his own and was working on his third as well.

The rain outside had still not let up. The sounds of hard water droplets reverberated in the spacious kitchen space.

"I know that there's a lot that you want to know," she replied. She was trying hard to be careful with what she said, and the wine gave her an ever so slight buzz. "But I don't know where to start. You can always ask me. Ask and you shall receive,"

"Will I?" he asked. "Because you might not want to tell me," he said. Sakura nodded. The atmosphere in the kitchen was too quiet, regardless of the downpour outside.

"Try me," she said. They were silent once again as the sounds of the rain filled the pause.

"Today's your wedding anniversary with him," said Sasuke as he stared at her intently. Her face didn't betray any emotion as she replied.

"Not a question…but yes, it is," she said as she leaned back in her chair.

"That's why you've been upset today," he said

"Yes," she said. Sasuke's eyes tightened ever slightly. He was prepared to hear it, but he still didn't like it.

"When was Sora born?" he asked. Sakura raised an eyebrow and took another sip of her wine. She was wondering when he was actually going to ask her a question, but she wasn't expecting that one.

"July 23rd," she said. She was going to ask him why, but she saw him doing the mental math in his head. She decided to cut him off. "And yes, I was three months pregnant with Sora when I got married," she said before he could ask the obvious next question.

"Is that why you married him?" he asked. Sakura stilled; her green eyes blazing with an intensity he had never seen before, not even in bed. He went too far.

"Sai," she said. "His name is Sai, and please don't insult me by asking me if Sora was the reason why I married him, because he wasn't," she said in barely a whisper. "I loved him. Even at nineteen, I knew I loved him and he was the only one for me," she said. He was still as she spoke. He couldn't help himself as the jealously invaded his system. It was stupid to be jealous of a dead man, but when that same dead man was still you're rival, it couldn't be help.

"Is he _still_ the only one for you?" he asked. "Because I can't compete with the dead Sakura,"

"Listen to me when I say he _was_ the only one for me Sasuke," she said, letting a crack in her voice slip through her defenses. "He _was_. I wasn't upset today because I wanted Sai back. I wasn't upset because I'm with you now and not him. It was never about that,"

"When I see Sora drawing in his little sketch pad…" she said letting a tear slip through her eye "I can't help but think about how unfair it was that he never got to know what a great artist his father was. I see so much of Sai through Sora. And for the past three years, I wasn't able to give my baby the father he deserved. He's just a little boy Sasuke," she said reigning in the tears. "He's my baby. I want him to know that his father loved him. I want him to know what kind of person he was,"

Sasuke listened as she poured her heart out to him. He wanted nothing more than to bring her into his arms and kiss her till she was better, but he had to know. He had to hear her out.

"I don't want to shut you out," she said across from the table. "Yes, I miss Sai; especially on our anniversary. You have no idea how hard it was to get married against everyone's wishes and finally be together. If only you knew what I put my father through. But Sasuke…missing him, only makes me realize how much I care about you,"

He braced himself, not expecting that logic from her.

"You make me feel so different, than how he made me feel," she continued "There's something about you that I can't escape from. It's not your physical similarities to Sai that I'm talking about. There's something there; something I can't see that's pulling me towards you. It's like you've been away from me for so long that I want nothing more than to have you come back to me,"

"Sora looks up to you in a way that I thought he never would," she admitted. "_You're _his hero. It's as simple as that. I never thought my son would have someone like that in his life again," she said looking straight into his eyes.

Sasuke held her gaze as he saw the resolve building within her.

"And I get the feeling that you're not telling me the whole story with you either," she said. She felt as though the wine in her body actually clarified her senses as she gazed at him. "I see it in you. Something's there, something you're not telling me about whom you are, and that's fine for now," she said. Sasuke kept his cool on the outside, but on the inside, he was on high alert. She had no idea how dead on she was at the moment.

"But that's what makes me drawn to you," she said. "I want to be there for you. I want to help you, in any way I can. I need you to open up to me as well,"

"I need you," she whispered. "But more than anything…I _want you_," she said as she gazed at him with those simmering eyes. "And that's what scares me the most,"

"I know I've given you plenty of chances to doubt me," she said. "But you have to know, that although it seems like I'm living in my memories, I am not living in the past. I'm here for you. Don't let me push you away," she said.

"I want you to come back to me," she said. "As strange as that sounds…that's how I feel about you," she said. "So come back to me,"

Her words were enough for him. He decided, at this moment, that she belonged to him. He couldn't stop himself from trying to claim her in every way imaginable.

"Enough then," he said quickly before leaving his chair and pulling her out of her seat as he crushed her against him and kissed her hard. He wasted no time in picking her up and making a beeline for the bedroom.

His mouth on hers felt more intense than ever. Sakura groaned as she clung to him and allowed him to kiss her senseless as they made their way upstairs. The rain had not let up, making it more reminiscent of their first night together.

But this time it was different with them. The ways she moaned his name and held onto him were more fervent and needy. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted him before, and that only fueled his desire be with her all night long.

He was hasty in undressing her, only having enough restraint so that he didn't rip anything this time. With their clothes tossed aside, Sasuke fell with her on his bed and began to make his claim on her in a way that she would never forget. His lips moved from her mouth and kissed her neck and chest, leaving his mark in their wake.

Her hands swiftly roamed his back, feeling the heat from his skin and the definition of his muscles. She grabbed a fistful of his raven locks and brought his mouth back up to hers.

Every touch, kiss, caress and moan was more passionate than the last. He needed to show her how much he wanted her. He wouldn't stop; he couldn't. He pressed himself against her, making her feel what she did to him. She gasped and arched her back in need, bringing herself closer and wanting him inside her. He could feel her impatience as his lips claimed her mouth once more. He wasted no time and plunged into her, making her break their kiss and call out his name as he filled her.

Her fingers grasped his hair as she threw her head back with his movements, moaning him name as he thrust into her. He was relentless in his movements as he brought them both over the edge over and over again. The night was filled with the sounds of their moans, drowned out by the storm. The second and third time they made love that night wasn't even enough time with her for him, and she felt the same way.

She moaned and pleaded for him to go faster and harder, and he obeyed her wish. He was greeted with more breathy moans as her chest arched up and against him as she came a few minutes after that, screaming his name. The feeling of her breasts against his chest as she rode out her climax stimulated his own release. He gave a final thrust as he released the tension and came deep inside her.

"…Sakura," he groaned as he rode out his release and came down from the high, hovering above her with as much strength as he could hold.

"Sasuke…," she breathed as his lips found her own and kissed her long and deep, relishing the feeling of still being close as he was still inside her. Her weakened arms slowly wove their way towards his face before circling his neck. He kissed her repeatedly with dwindling energy. Every move he made, he wanted to be touching and kissing her before he couldn't anymore.

He finally pulled out of her and slumped his body over hers, trapping her beneath him. Sakura enjoyed the feeling of his weight over hers as she turned her head to the side and kissed his cheek. They lay with each other for a few moments, chests heaving with their ragged breathing as they listened to the rain drizzle outside.

The sound of the rainfall was soothing to her ears. She felt Sasuke's arms slide up her form and hold her against him as he rolled off of her and brought her up against him. Sakura wrapped her leg around his side and slid her arms around him, bringing herself right against him. She pressed her swollen lips to his chest, planting soft kisses leading back up to his mouth. Sasuke kissed her back with a searing intensity, only pulling back enough so he could speak.

"I won't let you get away from me," he said while looking straight into her jade irises. "You are mine now," he said as his arm tightened its grip around her. He couldn't let her get away. He was too selfish for his own damn good. Sakura's placed her palm over his cheek, taking in the depth of his words.

"Then don't let me get away," she whispered as she kissed him softly. "Hold me tight and don't let me escape," she said. And he did. He held her against him, until the steady rise and fall of their chests lulled them to sleep.

The rainstorm had ceased for the evening.

The following morning, Sasuke found out about Sakura's plans to go to the Dojo with Naruto.

"Before you say no," said Sakura as she finished getting dressed. "Listen to me. I am not thinking of finding my stalker. I have no intention of sneaking away and using my ass kicking skills to hunt him down. I'm simply doing it for therapeutic reasons. Naruto said he would train with me,"

Sasuke was about to refuse, but when she wrapped her arms around his neck and sensually slid her body up against his, he began to lose focus. "Please?" she asked as she wove her fingers into his hair and gently scratched his scalp. His hand automatically planted themselves on her hips in a firm grip "I promise not to hurt your best friend…too much" she whispered with a smirk.

He crushed his mouth against hers and let his hands slid from her hips to firmly grasp her ass and pull her up against him. She moaned in surprise as dominating tongue slipped into her mouth with a ferocity she wasn't expecting so early in the morning. A little teasing goes a long way with him. After two minutes of groping and heavily making out, she decided to stop when Sasuke's mouth moved to her neck. She had to get home in time for Naruto to bring Sora back so he can get ready for school.

"I'll be there later," said Sasuke as he gave her behind a suggestive squeeze. He also wanted the chance to spar with the Naruto, but more importantly, he wanted to see what kind of training Sakura was capable of. And if he couldn't take out his frustration on a shadow person chasing after his woman, he might as well take it out on the Dobe. His suggestive comments from time to time were getting on his nerves.

"If you must," said Sakura as she detangled herself from him. She grabbed her things and gave him one final kiss before she left, police escort in tow. Sasuke smirked at the thought of Kakashi getting the report that his daughter was just now leaving his house since she arrived yesterday. Kakashi could chew on that for a while.

Suki was dropped off by Hinata shortly afterwards.

Sasuke decided to break the news to Suki about the festival. He waited until she was ready for school before he broke it to her over breakfast. Needless to say it didn't go well.

The worst he had to deal with was Suki's tears that morning when he had to explain to her that the festival wasn't happening because it wasn't safe for everybody. She cried all the way until they reached Sakura's house, and even then it took Sakura two minutes of soothing words and hugs and promises of future festivals to calm her down.

"But I wanted to… (sniff)…wear my… (sniff) Yukata Aunty Sakura," she said as Sakura placed a tissue to her nose and made her blow the snot away. Suki really did a number on herself in depression. Sakura took one good look at her and refused to let her out of the car and go into the school until she looked better.

"It's okay sweetie," said Sakura as she pulled out a hairbrush from her purse and fixed Suki's messed up hair. "Don't worry there will be plenty more festivals coming up soon. Then you can wear your pretty Yukata and we can all have lots of fun okay?" she said.

Suki sniffled, but nodded. Sasuke tried not to make a face as he watched them from the rear view mirror. He told Suki the exact same thing at home, but she simply cried even more. He supposed that somehow, hearing it from Sakura made her actually listen and understand. He was glad that she at least had fun at the Dobe's yesterday.

To his relief, and pride, Sora didn't show the least bit of disappointment of his face when he heard the news. If anything he seemed only annoyed that no one would see his artwork. His mother on the other hand, was another story.

Sasuke couldn't forget how she immediately suspected that he pulled his quote "Corporate weight" around and had the damn festival cancelled just so he could get his way. He had the smug pleasure of reminding her that he couldn't have possibly had time to do that as he was pleasuring her all night, to which she blushed to a new degree.

He caught her eye in the rear view mirror and smirked when she blushed, obviously recalling the memories of last night. She shook her head and focused on Suki again.

"Okay there you go. Two piggy tails," said Sakura as she finished pulling Suki's hair into two tails at the side of her head. Suki seemed to have cheered up completely when she saw her new look. Her rosy little cheeks smiled back at him happily through his rear view mirror. He couldn't help the warmth growing in his chest at the sight of her little smile.

"Thank you Aunty Sakura," said Suki as Sakura crushed her against her chest in a hug.

"You're welcome sweetie," she said as she kissed her cheek. "You make sure Sora stays out of trouble and be careful for me alight?" she said to Suki. Sasuke took a glance at Sora next to him in the front seat. He tried not to smirk at his impatient face. He didn't want to wait in the car while Suki got her hair done, but he wasn't complaining.

"I'm going to train at a dojo today," he said gaining Sora's attention "I'll take you sometime when you're ready," said Sasuke. Sora's face light up with excitement at the word dojo.

"A real dojo?" asked Sora. "When can we go?" he asked.

"When I think you're ready," said Sasuke. Sora grimaced. "Focus on your training today in school and I'll see," he said while ruffling his hair. Sora nodded with a determined face.

"Promise?" asked Sora. Sasuke nodded with a 'hn'.

"I want to go too Daddy," said Suki from the back seat. She wanted to be included too.

"Girls can't do karate Suki," said Sora as he leaned over the passenger's side with a smug expression.

"Yes they can!" said Suki.

"Nu uh!" said Sora. Sakura raised an eyebrow at their "argument".

"Sora," said Sakura. "Girls can do karate if they want too," she said before turning to Suki. "Suki what about your ballet classes?" she asked. "Don't you want to do that with Akira and Aunty Ino?" she asked. Suki thought about it, as if she forgot she took dance classes and nodded.

"Okay!" said Suki as Sakura unloaded her from the car. "But I can still do Karate too right?" she asked.

"But you don't know how to fight Suki," said Sora as they continued to argue away from the car.

Sasuke watched the two kids walking into school, side by side and still debating about whether girls can do karate or not. He felt a new security within him. Another kid to play with was one thing, but Sora, a boy, was more than he could have hoped for. He was a brave boy, whose need to protect his mother and his brotherly mannerisms around Suki were enough for Sasuke. Sora, at five years old, was able to make Sasuke feel secure about Suki's well-being.

That alone, was an amazing accomplishment.

He snapped out of his thoughts when Sakura leaned into the window and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"That's for promising to take Sora to the dojo," she said as she walked around the back and took her seat in front next to him. He smirked and started the car to go work. He had to work at least half a day before he would meet up with them at the dojo. Naruto was going to drive Sakura there from work.

* * *

**CIA Surveillance room:**

"This outta be good," said Kiba as he took his place in front of the monitor. Word got around that Kakashi's daughter was apparently attempting to work out with Naruto today, which peaked some interest among a certain group of CIA members. Kakashi took pride in teaching her martial arts and strength training, not to mention Tsunade's teachings combined into one person was a once in a lifetime event. Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji, and even Shino, Guy and Asuma were present.

"So how good do you think she is?" Kiba asked.

"I don't know but I thought there'd be food here," said Chouji. "We could have at least popped some corn," he grunted. If food wasn't involved, he didn't care. Shikamaru sighed and leaned back in his seat. It certainly felt like a movie day with the bunch of them in front of a screen. He could have been doing some work, but the lazy side of him thought he could use some entertainment.

"Kakashi made sure she knew how to defend herself, if she ever needed to," said Asuma. "Kind of bragged about it now that I think about it…," he blew a puff of smoke out of his cigarette. He lapsed in his no smoking ban once in a while. Pregnant Kurenai was a lot to handle.

"Oh if only I had a daughter as youthful as she," said Guy as Sakura and Naruto were seen entering the Dojo. "Then I could have trained her to be even better than Kakashi's girl and top him once and for all," he said. Everyone sweat dropped at Guy. He never made much sense.

"They've arrived," said Neji.

* * *

**DOJO: **

Sakura marveled at the magnificent Japanese style dojo. It was in a very serene location just outside the city and surrounded by plant life. She felt miles away from Tokyo.

"This place is great," she said. It was loaded with all kinds of training equipment spread throughout the area.

"Yeah, Lee sure does keep it true to the old times," said Naruto "This is his Dojo you know. Anyway I think it's time you get reacquainted with your self-defense," said Naruto as he led her to the center of the dojo towards the mats "We can start with the basics,"

"Sure," said Sakura. "You want to run at me and see what happens?" she asked as she tossed her bag and removed her jacket. "I can totally take you," she said as she began to stretch. She was dressed in a form fitting red tank top with a white circle on the back. It was her favorite old top from her younger days. Now that she was older the shirt exposed a little bit of flat tummy for anyone to view. She also wore black athletic pants that clung to her form in a way that got some subtle attention from her viewers on screen.

"Not a chance Sakura," said Naruto. "Maybe when you've had more training with the punching bag," he said. Sakura rolled her eyes and let it slide.

Naruto began by showing her the different ways to utilize her female body against a man. Sakura surprised him by demonstrating the techniques she learned when she was in high school, which were still sharp in her memory. After going through some strategic exercises, Naruto decided to move onto her stamina.

"We'll do the spot training next," he informed as he placed large rubber punching cushions over his arms. "Just punch back and forth between my arms," he said while holding up his matted forearms.

"It's been so long since I've done this," said Sakura as she brought out her old punching gloves. She loved these when she was teenager. The smooth feel of the leather against her knuckles gave her an unstoppable feeling. The rush of power and strength as she beat the crap out of numerous items was a great stress reliever when she was in high school.

"Don't worry about it Sakura. We'll go easy on the reps to start with," he said as he smiled at her. Sakura's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the blonde man. The one thing she hated beyond anything else was being dubbed as weak. She'll soon show him.

She stretched her muscles and poised herself; her eyes concentration on the cushions with a certain blonde's head in the middle. Her mind was clear. The only thing that mattered was the target. Her muscles were relaxed, as she let her mind concentrate on the movements she would need.

"Alright when I say go you- GAh!" Naruto didn't get to finish as Sakura launched herself at him, punching in rhythm and annihilating the pace. Naruto actually had to use some force to keep the cushions steady.

"_Shit,"_ thought Naruto. "_Where did she get this monstrous strength from_?" he asked himself as she continued to punch her heart out. She moved into kicks and that's when Naruto had to dodge her swings and drop the cushions.

"Bag! Bag! Aim for the punching bag!" he shouted as he waved his arms in the arm to alleviate the pressure from her force. He was not expecting her to be that strong.

Back at the CIA, the guys were amazed at what they were seeing. She was going all out on that punching bag, so much so that the chain was shaking.

"This brings back memories," said Kakashi as he entered the view room. Then he spotted just how many eyes were watching her not so loose outfit and tried not to chop heads.

Sakura continued to focus her energy and movements on the bag, getting lost in the adrenaline. She dealt the final punch, which to everyone surprise, forced the thick leather band of the bag to tear ever so slightly, until the sand ripped right through and fell out completely. Sakura gave a sheepish and embarrassed grin.

Kiba whistled. "Damn," he said in amazement.

"I'll say," said Asuma. "What have you been teaching her Kakashi? Or should I blame Tsunade?" he asked bewildered.

"That's my girl," said Kakashi proudly to a stunned group of men who were looking at him as though amazed he had such a daughter.

"Whoa," said Naruto.

"Uh…sorry," she said as she gasped for air. "Guess I got carried away," she said. Sakura smiled at Naruto and moved toward him, fists in the air and trying to egg him on to spar with her again. He back away wide-eyed, not wanting to lose a tooth to the hands of death.

"Oh come on Naruto just for a bit," she pleaded as she maneuvered around him. "I'm hyped up right now and I need to burn some energy,"

"I am not going to hit you! I value my life," he said.

"Wimp!" she said tauntingly while backing up and hitting a solid wall of muscle behind her. She turned her head, only to clash with his beautiful eyes looking down at her in amusement.

"About time you got here Teme" said Naruto. "I've almost had to deal with that firecracker over there," he said while pointing to Sakura. Sakura gave him a sour look at the word firecracker, but the ripped punching bag in the corner made it so she couldn't complain. She turned back to Sasuke and it was then that she noticed his karate attire. He was staring at the corner before he looked down at her.

"Did you do that?" he asked in an oddly calm manner. She nodded sheepishly.

"Yeah...I kind of ripped the punching bag," she admitted.

"More like annihilated it," mumbled Naruto. Sasuke looked from the giant torn punching bag, down to his petite girlfriend and failed to see how that happened. Was she capable of such force? She didn't have the muscle mass for it.

"You ready to spar then?" asked Naruto. "I want to see if you still got and skill left," he mocked. Sakura huffed.

"How come you'll spar with him and not me?" she asked in a slightly whinny tone.

"Because you'll kill me," said Naruto. Sakura pouted and was about to ask Sasuke if he'd be her partner when she stopped and stared.

Sasuke had removed his shirt in a way that made her squirm.

"This fight's mine Sakura," Sasuke claimed as he stepped up to the middle of the mat. She was so lost at the sight of his form that she didn't even argue and stepped to the side of the arena.

The lust in her eyes clouded her vision as she watched him prepare to fight. His black karate pants tied in the center and two black sports wrist bands were the only thing he wore. But Sakura noticed that his tattoo at the base of his neck was gone. It just wasn't there! What was that all about?

Her eyes wandered over to Naruto, and her inquiry about Sasuke's tattoo was lost when she saw him without his shirt as well.

His tanned skin and blonde hair were a stark contrast to Sasuke's fair skin and jet black hair. His cerulean eyes popped at you in a way that you could not miss. They stared at their onyx-eyed rival, getting set for the spar.

Sakura had to shake her head and close her gapping mouth. She blushed profusely at her obvious staring. She turned and was thankful that no one was really looking at her eyeing the men like an idiot. Sakura directed her gaze back to Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto caught her eyes and waved at her like a dope.

"Cheer me on Sakura!" said Naruto. "I need the moral support since Hinata had to work," he said. Sakura smiled and nodded her head, purposefully not connecting with Sasuke's obvious glare. She couldn't help herself. Naruto was like a hyperactive puppy that was just so ridiculously happy to see you when you come home from work that you want to spoil it rotten with attention.

"Good luck then," she said, earning her a cheeky fox-like grin in return.

She finally allowed herself to look at Sasuke. She had seen Sasuke naked before, and the thought made her blush uncontrollably. Seeing him getting ready to fight, with his eyes focused, body arched, and muscles flexing everywhere…

Sakura swallowed and grasped her lower belly as a tingle shot through her. Sakura sighed. Hormones were the ultimate traitors. His testosterone saturating the air made her one receptive female.

"_I think I just ovulated,_" she thought to herself as the tingly sensation concentrated in her lower belly. After last night, she wanted more of him. Sasuke had undoubtedly sealed his place in her arms last night. Just the thought of his naked form, touching her, kissing her and hovering over her with that insatiable look in his eye…

Sakura stopped her train of thoughts. If she didn't, she would have undoubtedly gotten a very embarrassing nosebleed. But the back of her mind was thinking about what to make for dinner tonight. The right dish could lead to some much wanted after dinner activities.

She watched as they moved, exchanging blows left and right. Naruto's method of fighting was very abrasive and all over the place. But the strength behind his blows was undeniable. He had so much energy to burn that he could have gone on for hours.

Sasuke's style on the other hand was very different. He was much more calculated and precise in his movements. Speed was his best advantage of Naruto's force. Sasuke was able to predict Naruto's every move and block most of them, but Naruto was far from done.

In the end, it was a draw.

"We've got to do this more often," said Naruto as he toweled off. "I can take you on any day,"

"Hn," said Sasuke as he downed a bottle of water. The sound of a pager going off filled the dojo. He turned and saw Sakura shuffle through her bag as she pulled out her pager. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed the hospital before speaking to whoever was on the line.

"Okay I'll be there soon Hinata," she said before hanging up. "There's an emergency case at the hospital. I have to go right away. Can you take Sora home with you for me?" she asked to Sasuke, who nodded.

"Okay then," said Naruto. "We can come back once in a while and do this again. Maybe get a stronger punching bag," he said while looking at the remains of the old one.

"Oh crap I forgot about that," said Sakura. "I'll buy a new one," she offered. Naruto shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. Lee owns this place. He won't take your money, believe me" said Naruto. "He'll just be glad I'm not the only one using the place. Besides, you feel better after working out don't you?" he asked. Sakura smiled and nodded. She really did feel much better than she did yesterday. Punching the life out of things uplifted her spirits.

"I do," said Sakura as she ran and gave Naruto another hug without thinking. "Thanks for bringing me here Naruto. It really did help," she said. Naruto hugged her back, grinning at Sasuke who was glaring his eyes out at Sakura hugging a bare-chested Naruto.

"Anytime Sakura," said Naruto. "I'll see you later then," he said. He grinned as Sasuke practically dragged Sakura away from him and over to his car. When they left, Naruto surveyed the damaged punching bag and guestimated how much time it would take him to clean it up. Sand was scattered everywhere from the explosion. If Gaara was here, it would have been a breeze.

But hanging out with Sakura today and sparing with Sasuke made him happier than he could have imagined. He felt a strong need to protect Sakura, as if she was his own sister. Being here with her and Sasuke felt right. Hell, if Sakura were to ever be recruited into the CIA, she would be a force to reckon with. That brain plus that in-human strength was a deadly combo. Sasuke himself was a great fighter in general and a freaking genius to boot.

The three of them would have made quite a team.

* * *

**Konoha Medical Center: Later that evening…**

Sasuke sighed as he carried Sora to the hospital with an excited Suki in tow. After taking the kids home from school, Sasuke and Sora decided to do some more karate in the backyard. Considering the rainfall last night, it wasn't the best idea, and Sora ended up slipping and injuring himself.

"Daddy are we going to see Aunty Sakura here?" she asked as the three of them entered the main lobby.

"Yes we are Tenshi," said Sasuke as he headed towards the elevators. By the buzz of voices that occurred when he entered the premises, he knew his fan club was gearing up for his arrival once more. He held onto Suki's hand carefully and made sure she was by his side at all times. He did not want anything getting in his way until he got to Sakura. They rode the elevator to Sakura's floor and exited. He spotted her right away and walked briskly.

Every nurse on the floor stopped what they were doing and had their eyes on him as he walked into their station…with his boy in his arms. But then they saw another child. A little girl! She looked so similar to the boy, they had to be twins. They were still not over the shock from the previous time Mr. Uchiha's son came to visit them, but that other child… they just had to both be hers! They all watched as he made his way over to Doctor Haruno, waiting to see what would happen.

Sakura was directing the overnight care instructions for one of her patients who just delivered via emergency C-section when she noticed that the nurse she was talking to was focused on something behind her. She turned around and was surprised to see Sasuke coming down with Sora and Suki. Everyone was still, waiting. That certainly explained why it got quiet all of the sudden.

"_What the hell_?" she thought as she saw them walk towards her. She certainly wasn't expecting this.

"Hi Mommy," said Sora. He seemed alright. Suki looked around the hospital in wonder. She hardly ever came here unless it was her annual visit. Sakura suspected it was her new found passion for becoming a doctor that explained it.

"Hi baby" she said while looking at Sasuke curiously and meeting them halfway in the floor lobby. "What are you all doing here?" she asked. Only then did she notice Sora holding a cloth on the side of his head. Sasuke saw her eyes narrow in on the gauze.

"He's okay," said Sasuke as he removed the cloth over Sora's head. Sakura gasped, making all the nurses lean over to see what was wrong. Sora had a deep cut on the side of his head, and a long streak of blood going down his face.

"OH DEAR GOD!" she screamed making most of their audience jump in surprise. "Sasuke what happened?" she asked before turning to Sora. "What happened baby?" she asked as she cradled his head in her hands. She carefully inspected the cut and nearly fainted at the sight of the blood smeared on the side of his precious little head. She was officially freaking out.

"Tell Mommy what happened," said Sasuke. He had an almost amused expression at what had happened, much to Sakura's confusion.

"I fell," said Sora sheepishly. "On a rock," he added in an adorable afterthought. Sakura was even more panicked now. It had been so long since his last major boo boo that this was all new again. She turned and looked at Sasuke for further explanation.

"Karate in the backyard," he explained. "Sakura he's fine, he didn't even cry," he said with a somewhat impressed and proud tone, making Sora smile. Sakura was not appeased at all.

"Like that makes it any better," she said before fussing over Sora again. "Oh sweetie, are you okay? Does it hurt you? How many fingers am I holding up?" she asked while holding up three of her fingers and moving them around. Sasuke sighed.

"Three" said Sora. Sakura simply held him against Sasuke and kissed his cheeks. It was just the blood on his head that made it seem worse than it was. She looked down at Suki, who Sakura just noticed was getting a lot more attention from everyone else.

"Oh Suki," said Sakura as she knelt down and picked her up. "You're not hurt too are you? No boo boos?" she asked as she gave Suki a quick inspection. Suki giggled.

"No," she said. "I'm okay," she said happily. "I told him to be careful like you told me to," she said with a determined traitors glance at Sora. Sora didn't miss it and stuck his tongue out at her betrayal. Sakura smiled and hugged her as well. At least one of them was responsible.

"Okay then, let's go and find your Uncle Neji for a neuro consult," she said to Sora. "And that means no more karate for a while," she said, making Sora pout. Sasuke resisted rolling his eyes. He wasn't going to let Sora be babied too much after this. He was a boy, and he didn't cry when he fell face-first into that rock. That was an amazing feat for a child, though the fact that he didn't feel any pain was probably worth looking into.

"He's not a baby anymore Sakura," said Sasuke. "He can't sit out just because of a minor setback,"

"Minor setback my…foot," she mumbled for the sake of the kids. "I think Neji will soon disagree," she said, much to his annoyance. From the moment she had first seen them interact, she instantly picked up an intense atmosphere between Neji and Sasuke. She had no idea where it came from but she would use it to her advantage.

All eyes watched as the beautiful family walked towards the elevators. They watched with admiration for the two beautiful children who greatly resembled their parents. They watched as their lead Doctor, who could tackle level 1 trauma cases with ease, fuss over her little boy's boo boo. They watched her hold her precious little girl, with her striking green eyes no doubt inherited by her mother.

But above all, they all watched their CEO, a man whom they barely knew anything about or seen much of save for his rare outings from his office. They watched him with new eyes.

They watched him in the role of a father, proud of his son for not crying after an injury and protective of his little daughter.

The one that hit the most was watching him…watch her. Doctor Sakura Haruno. They watched how his eyes were always on her and staring with a melting intensity just underneath the surface. He was looking at her as if she were the only woman alive. It was such a possessive look, that it made them mentally shiver. There was so much power in his eyes, and now they knew, that he only had eyes for her: the woman who had given him those two beautiful children.

The elevator closed on the scene.

One nurse in particular kept her eyes on them at all times.

She stood behind the others, keeping a low profile and milling over some patients charts so she wouldn't be suspicious. Her eyeglasses adjusted so that she could capture all four members of the lovely family together. Her lenses silently and rapidly began collecting high resolution images.

Those images were stored in a microchip imbedded right behind the iris of her eye, where no one can see it. When they were out of sight, a voice chimed in her ears.

_"Very good my dear,"_ he said. _"Now come home,"_ said the voice.

She merely dropped what she was doing, and left the area. Her movements were almost robotic as she took the elevator down and left through the front entrance. She flashed her badge to the security guard, who let her pass, not noticing that this particular woman's face was somewhat familiar.

He let it go as he continued to work. He didn't even glance at the local news playing silently in the TV behind him. He never saw the newest edition to the missing persons list: A young woman about 26 years old, with short brown hair and glasses.

Had he seen it, he might have noticed how similar she looked to the one he just let go.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**Review because Sora got a boo boo!**

**It took me 37 pages on microsoft word and 17,957 words and that's chapter 27. I hope you guys liked it. Review please because I live for your reviews!**

**I apologize profusely for not updating sooner than this. Believe me it was being worked on throughout the entire time since the last update. I want to say thank you to all of you who have reviewed and sent me multiple PM's and inquiries about my next update. It means so much to me that my story is still in your thoughts even after all this time. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST FANS EVER! I LOVE YOU ALL! **

**Recent Naruto Manga chapters 497 and beyond have just busted out a string of emotions that has been years in the making with this manga. They're the hardest and most beautiful chapters of the Manga so Far. **

**So once again I ask for reviews! They are my chakara source! I need Chakara... and a sandwich! It's 2:30 in the morning...I gotta work soon! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**

**cough...ahem...I'm not crazy...uh review please!**


	28. Seeing Red

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 28: Seeing Red**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

Neji placed the X-ray of Sora's head against the light. He closely examined it before turning to Sakura and Sasuke. Hinata was currently wrapping some gauze around Sora's head on the exam table. The cut on his head was small, but it was deep enough to require two small stitches. Luckily it was just along the hairline, so it was easy to cover.

"It's only a superficial wound," said Neji. "No bone damage whatsoever," he said to Sakura's relief. Neji turned towards Sora and examined his eyes with a small light, going back and forth between his pupils. "Does it hurt when you move your head Sora?" he asked. Sora shook his bandaged head. "Good. No concussion to worry about either,"

"Hn," said Sasuke as he held onto a sleepy Suki. Suki was trying to fight off sleep, eager to observe her Uncle Neji sew up Sora's head and as much of the hospital as she could, but she burned out with all her excitement. The lollipop Neji had given her was slipping out of her little hand. Sasuke took it from her and tossed it in the trash.

Neji gave Sasuke a quick bothered glance, as if asking why the hell he was here in the first place. Sasuke discreetly glared back. Maybe he could coax Neji into going to the Dojo next time. It would certainly be gratifying to beat the shit out of his big-brother aura, which was getting old now.

"You can give him meds for the pain, if he has any," said Neji to Sakura. "He needs to come back in-"

"Five days to remove the stitches," Sakura said as she chewed on her fingernail and held herself together. "Yeah, I figured," She waited patiently while Hinata finished wrapping the gauze around his head. Sora looked like he just came out of brain surgery with all the white wrapped around.

Neji placed his hand on her shoulder, sensing her distress.

"It's just a cut really," Neji said. "The gauze makes it look worse than it is," he said. Sakura nodded and released her breath.

"I know," she said while leaning her head against Neji's shoulder. "I can't help it. All that blood on his head was just…" she shrugged and was grateful when Hinata finished her work, allowing Sakura to finally fuss over him.

"Are you okay sweetie?" she asked while gently tracing the gauze over his head. Sora glanced at Sasuke and gave his mother a reassuring smile. After Sasuke told him to be brave for her, Sora made sure he did just that. He didn't want his Mommy to worry.

"Uh huh," said Sora before he yawned and rubbed his eyes to stay awake. Sasuke smirked. He was glad that nothing was seriously wrong with Sora, but did they have to bandage his head in that manner? Sakura was already on edge, and she was probably thinking back to the night their house was broken into. Sora was injured then too.

"Let's go home," said Sakura as she scooped him into her arms and kissed his cheek. "Thanks Neji, Hinata," she said.

"Sure," said Neji. "And this means no Karate, at least until the stitches come out," he said while directing his gaze at Sasuke, who simply glared. He could have sworn he saw the bastard wink at Sakura as if he was doing her a favor.

"I knew it," said Sakura. Sora on the other hand scowled. "No means no mister," she said when she saw his rebellious face. "If you were more careful today this wouldn't have happened,"

Sora looked to Sasuke, pleading with his eyes to say something. Sakura saw this and for one thing was surprised that Sora thought of Sasuke as a higher authority than her, and also directed her gaze to him, daring him to defy her. Sasuke shrugged.

"Consider it part of your training to take a break for a while," said Sasuke. "I'll take you to the Dojo when you're healed," he said. Sora nodded and plopped his head on Sakura's shoulder in defeat, while Sakura gave him an approving smile.

She sat in the back seat of the car with the kids on the way home. In the haze of her life, she came to realize that she was now referring to Sasuke's house as 'home'. They were either at his house, or he and Suki were at hers. It was comfortable for now, but Sakura knew that sooner or later, they were going to have to raise the playing field. They had claimed each other in many passionate ways, but she had to face the fact that even though she cared about him deeply, she still didn't know that much about him.

* * *

**ASUMA"S POV:**

Asuma sighed and began to chew another piece of nicotine gum as he turned the corner again so that he was out of Sasuke's field of view.

The younger Uchiha brother was so damn observant that it almost pissed him off. Kakashi had been specific in making sure that his presence was not detected by Sasuke, and for good reason. Sasuke was constantly checking his tail to see if anyone was following him. Kakashi was forced to call off the 24 hour guards due to increased need for cops on the missing person's case. He had no choice but to plead with Asuma to stay with Sakura while she was on the road. Sasuke seemed all too happy to be free of the guard, which is why Kakashi didn't mention anything about still keeping road-side tabs on him, hence the evasion on the road.

Not that it made any difference. Sasuke was still looking out for followers.

Aside from making his job more difficult, Asuma silently approved of the younger Uchiha's cautionary stance when it came to Sakura. He was behaving very much like a CIA operative, which was okay in Asuma's book. Sakura was a sweetheart and needed the protection more than she knew.

Still, tailing them wasn't pleasant. He never liked telling Kakashi when Sakura was sleeping over with Sasuke. That's not something you want to monitor, let alone tell your friend, no matter how close you are. To his credit, Kakashi took it all in stride, though he was always good at masking his initial reactions to just about anything.

Tonight would most likely be one of those nights, and when he saw Sasuke and Sakura walking into the house with their sleeping kids, it was confirmed.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Once they had gotten to Sasuke's house, Suki and Sora were both out for the night. She couldn't blame them. It was almost midnight and way past their bedtime. Once they were inside, they immediately settled the kids into Suki's room.

A few days ago, Sasuke had surprised her by showing her an extra child size bed in Suki's room for Sora to sleep. The gesture said so many things on so many levels. It was Sasuke showing her how integrated she was in his life, if he was making a home for her son as well. Needless to say Sakura was speechless when she saw it.

She changed Sora into some spare jammies and tucked him in properly before doing the same for Suki. She would have taken Sora home, but it was so late that Sasuke insisted they stay over for the night.

While Sasuke went down to check his security system, Sakura went into his room and lazily got out of her coat and scrubs. She tossed them on his bed and walked into his closet in only her bra and panties. Being in his home was so second nature to her that she was comfortable walking around in her underwear, if even for the briefest of moments. It's not like he was there watching her as she did so.

She rummaged through his closet and pulled out one of his t-shirts and pulled it over herself. It was big on her and ended just a few inches above her knees. She was in the middle of folding her clothes when she felt his arm slide over her stomach pulling her back against his chest. Okay, so maybe he was watching her and she didn't realize it. He was always in freaking stealth mode.

Sakura quirked a smile and turned her head back to see him. As soon as she did, he captured her lips in a smoldering kiss. Sakura smiled into the kiss and pulled back to look at him, though she couldn't seeing as how his lips just continued placing kisses across her jaw and down her neck.

"Sasuke," said Sakura as she turned to face him.

"Hn," said Sasuke as his grasped her hips and pulled her close. She smiled and placed her hands on his chest.

"I'm not mad at you about Sora," she said. "So you don't need to go out of your way to be affectionate," she said with a chuckle. He examined her expression. He knew she wasn't mad, but still.

"You're thinking about that night," he said making her eyes widen slightly before looking anywhere but at him. He hit the nail on the head.

"Yeah," she said dejectedly. "He's still out there,"

"He won't be able to hurt you," said Sasuke. "I won't let that happen. That's why it's important that you don't go anywhere alone, especially with Sora,"

"And for how long?" she asked. "You can't _always_ be there for me Sasuke. You're not a cop" said Sakura as she placed her palm against his cheek. "You're in just as much danger as I am. The fact is, it's going to be too much for you take on,"

"Like hell it is," he said while gripping her hips tighter. He was the exact opposite of a cop; he's an ex-assassin. He knew everything there was to know about getting to someone, and that gave him the greatest advantage. Still, it wasn't like she knew that. "Don't go anywhere without telling me. I can be there without a problem," he said. Sakura shook her head and pulled away from him, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

Now was _so_ not the time to get into his control issues, because she certainly wasn't in control at the moment and someone needed to be.

"Sasuke, before you met me you were at work almost all the time and now you're out of the office more often than not. This is ridiculous," she said more to herself. "I mean, what possesses someone to harass a person like this?" she asked as she faced him again. "Can I really think I have a legitimate stalker?"

"You do," said Sasuke firmly. "Just because things haven't happened after a long time stretch doesn't mean you don't," he said before looking at her purposefully "And just for the record, we don't really know what he wants with you, so we don't know if we're dealing with a stalker or a _killer_ Sakura,"

She jerked back and shuddered. She never thought about that, but damn he sure did have a point.

"It's hard to think that this is just some random person. Wouldn't that person have to know me to some degree?" she asked calmly, trying to mask her deathly fear at the moment.

"Not always," he answered "And there are many things about a target that can lure a stalker in. I'm using the word target, because eventually, he'll try to seek you out Sakura," he said. He saw her try to suppress a shiver. Good, he thought. The more fearful she is, the more alert she'll be.

"But wouldn't he be consistent?" she asked still trying to downplay it. "I don't know much about this, but from what I've heard, wouldn't a genuine stalker be harassing me in an almost compulsive manner?" she asked. "Instead I get a series of creepy moves. He breaks into my house and then he calls me telling me he's watching me. Both events had a significant time in between. What are the odds that he'll get bored with me? And if he wanted to kill me I'm sure he would have done it by now," she said as nonchalantly as possible, though inside she was crumbling.

"Again, we don't know what he wants with you and he's not going to go away!" he replied sternly. "He knows where you live and where you work, your phone numbers and who knows what else. Keep in mind that he's taken already contacted your directly and broken into your house and rummaged through your things. He's most likely taken something that you wouldn't even know was missing like that damn nightgown," he said still not liking that thought at all. "He wants to be near you and having something like that, something that's touched your skin with your scent, is as close to you as he's going to get until he tries again,"

Sakura wheeled around nearly losing her balance as she did so. She was astounded at how specific his train of thought was.

"Again with the damn nightgown?" she asked incredulously. "How long have you been thinking about this?" Sasuke added so many levels to seemingly mundane actions. "I don't know for sure if he's taken it or if I've just lost it," she said, not wanting to admit that this was happening. Sasuke shook his head.

"You asked what it is about you that could draw him in," he began. "It wouldn't take a lot. You're attractive and accomplished and you're a well-known public figure. Articles have been written about you and your general info is easily accessible to the public. You're the best of the best; a real life commodity. To obtain your affection or even just attention would be enough of a driving force for someone to try to get to you. All it takes is one look from the wrong eyes, and you'll find yourself the object of his unwanted attention,"

Sakura's mind was going in circles. Trying to make it seem like this wasn't as bad as it seemed wasn't working when he had two more levels to top her. But every word that came from Sasuke's mouth just made it more and more real. When was this going to end? When will she finally feel normal again?

He saw the emotions play out in her face. She didn't want this to be happening, but he wouldn't sugar coat how bad it really was. Even though there's been no activity for a while, he wasn't going to risk it.

"Obsession doesn't really have restrictive parameters," he continued. "They don't have to know you to want you. And Sakura…listen to me," he said as he stood as tall as he could. "If someone wanted something, or someone badly enough…they will try to find ways to get to them. If they aren't' successful after a few attempts, their mentality towards you can change,"

Sakura stared into his steely black eyes and waited.

"The jump from stalking to killing isn't a long one. It's all about the stages of obsession. He may think you're perfect right now, but you're going to do something that will disappoint him eventually. And when that time comes, when he realized that you're not as perfect as he might have thought you were, he'll react. You have no idea how long he's been studying you, because that's what they do. They study their victims until they have their routine memorized. He'll know when it's most likely the safest time to get to you if he wanted," he said.

Sakura listened, taking it all in. She didn't want to show him how defeated she was at the moment.

"If they can't have it, then they feel it's their place to make sure no one can," he continued. "They can kill you with a snap of their psyche, "he said. He saw the fear in her eyes but he knew she understood now.

"Dammit," she said quietly. "I have to do something about this. I can't just sit around and wait for him to-"

"That's exactly what you're going to do!" he said while grasping her arms. "You are _never_ to go anywhere in search of him Sakura. Think of what you're risking before you do something stupid. I'm never going to allow that,"

"What if he decides to come after the kids? Or you huh?" she said while pointing at him. "It's not just me that I'm worried about. What if he really does get bored with me and moves onto another innocent woman? I could never live with myself if that were to happen, Sasuke,"

"I won't let anything happen to you, or Sora or Suki," he said. "I won't let it. Help me do that by listening to me," he said. Sakura was getting annoyed. His I'm-made-of-steel-and-nothing-can-phase-me attitude was seriously pissing her off. He wasn't a cop; he was a corporate mogul for heaven's sake. Money didn't mean protection and he and the kids were just as exposed to danger as she was.

"How do you know so much about this?" she asked suddenly. "Everything you've said makes sense, but how exactly do you know so much about obsession?" she asked. Sasuke took a moment to stare into her eyes. He was being too careless in his anxiety over her safely. He forgot just how sharp she really was.

"It's not hard to figure out," he said after a moment. "If you look at history and all the other victims of an obsessed stalker, the outcome is almost always the same. Look at the news today. Do you have any idea how much worse this whole missing persons thing is making your situation? Hundreds of them of all ages have been vanishing. That's making me anxious for you,"

Damn. He had another freaking point. She had gotten updates from her father from time to time about that case, mostly because he was calling to warn her about suspicious people. Of course that would make Sasuke worry about her as well.

"I know just how bad that situation is," she said. "You think it's connected to me? You think that I may go missing?" she asked.

"I don't know," said Sasuke. "I just know that you can't take any risks. If the need to do something stupid pops into your mind, then think about our kids. Think about what losing you would do to them," he said. Sakura looked into his eyes deeply.

She didn't know if he realized what he just said. The minute he said "_our kids_", something clicked in her chest. He was telling her more than enough to make her stay put.

From the get go of their first meeting, Sakura didn't know what to make of him. The shock and confusion she felt from the moment she first set foot in his office immediately forced her to raise her defenses against him. But now, just a few months after that day, all her walls were down. She was so ready to accept that her feelings for him were so much more than just a mere attraction.

They were bonded, in a way that was so inexplicable to her. She felt like she was missing him, long before she knew he was gone. She wondered if they ever crossed paths in another life, if there was such a phenomenon.

As frustrated as she was at the moment, she knew she was beginning to fall for him. Slowly but surely, she knew in her heart, that she was falling in love Sasuke Uchiha.

"Okay," she whispered, though she wasn't really sure if she was agreeing with him, or agreeing with her sudden acceptance of her feelings.

He could see something brewing in her mind. She had come to some sort of conclusion. It was all there in her eyes. The skin chemistry between them was enough for him to know what she was feeling, and right now, she was thinking about him.

"I'll stop this," said Sasuke before bracing himself to ask her something that he did not deserve to ask her.

"Trust me," he said. He held his breath as she looked him in the eye, analyzing him amongst the uncertainty within her.

She had no choice. "I do," she said before he pulled her against him and kissed her with ferocity like no other.

Whether she wanted to or not, she knew she had to trust him, and he knew that. It did little to ease the gnawing feeling at the pit of his stomach. He knew he could never tell her about his past, no matter what the circumstance. He would not lose her, and he'd take his secret to his grave. He wanted to keep her in his life, without having to explain himself to her.

The Dobe was right; he was surely a possessive bastard indeed.

* * *

**Later that night at Ichiraku's:**

Naruto sneezed as he had just finished his 3rd bowl of ramen at the bar in Ichiraku's. He had a mission coming up soon and needed to load up beforehand. Kiba was his partner this time and was supposed to meet him soon. After a few minutes, he strolled into the bar.

"Hey man," said Kiba as he took a seat next to Naruto and ordered some ramen.

"Yo" said Naruto while slurping down the rest of his soup. He put the bowl down with a satisfied sigh and pulled out his favorite froggie wallet to see if he could get away with another bowl. Kiba eyed the childish wallet with the old-school clasp at the top. The thing was loudly colored and obnoxious.

"_Just like his owner" _Kiba thought with a wry grin. "You're a grown man for crying out loud, get a real wallet," he said while eyeing the beat up thing.

"Up yours. Hurry up and order your puppy chow" said Naruto as he bounced his wallet in his palm. It was a keepsake from his father and he was fond if the frog; even named it Gamabunta for the hell of it. Not that he was about to admit that to anyone, especially Kiba. The ridicule would be endless. "I'm not the one with red fangs tattooed to my face" he said while pointing to Kiba's head. "And I didn't used to walk around with a puppy on my head either,"

Kiba smirked at the memory of his younger days when Akamaru was a puppy riding around in his hoody. Now Akamaru was a giant beast of a dog and Kiba couldn't' have been more proud. Now if only Akamaru would produce some puppies for his son Jun. Keep the tradition alive.

"Better Akamaru than Shino's legion of insects," said Kiba with a shiver. He still couldn't understand the Aburame family entomologists. Rumor had it that they actually played as hosts to their bugs with their own bodies. Shino was already one scary bastard without that thought in mind. Naruto blanched.

"Yeah well, Shino's one scary bastard," he said as if he read Kiba's thoughts out loud. "Enough said," Kiba's bowl of ramen came.

"So," said Kiba as he broke his chopsticks. "I hear you're afraid of little girls now," he said with a grin. Of course he was referring to Naruto's training match with Sakura the other day.

"Hey, you saw what she did that punching bag," said Naruto. "Those aren't delicate little healing hands she has everything thinking they are. Those are wrecking balls with nail polish," he said as he visualized her form in flight. "Forget Shino, Sakura's the scary one,"

"Speaking of Shino," said Kiba. "He'll be coming with us on the mission," he said. Naruto spit out his drink and grimaced.

"Say what?" asked Naruto. "Why? Shino's a lab rat, he doesn't usually do these kinds of missions," he said. "If anything he's usually out doing reconnaissance outings,"

"For him it will be reconnaissance. The mission's in the northern region and it's been three years since the …incident," said Kiba with a smirk. "He wants to track down another bikochu. Try not to fart on this one or Shino's going to go apeshit"

"Hey it's not my fault the damn bug decided to fly downwind of me at that moment," said Naruto. He didn't even attempt to get back on Shino's good graces after that, assuming Shino has good graces. Three years is a long time to wait for a damn bug.

"Yeah well I suggest you ease up on the gas inducing foods. Even Shino has a breaking point and I don't want to be there to see it happen," said Kiba.

"Hmm" Naruto mumbled. He still didn't like it, but there was nothing he could do. Kakashi has requested that Naruto gather some Intel from the CIA branch in that region, but was not told of what. That info was confidential, and since Kakashi requested it, it must be important.

"We really don't have a choice then," said Naruto before emptying his wallet and standing up. "Fine. I'm going home for a while, and then I'll meet you at the spot before we leave,"

"Why the hell are you going home? We're leaving in two hours," said Kiba. Naruto just gave him a look.

"In case you forgot, that region is Hyuga territory. Hisashi still has it out for me. If I die, I want it to be with fond memories from home," he said with a grin. Kiba snickered.

"Fond memories indeed," said Kiba with a chuckle. "Careful or you'll be a daddy before you know it man. It happened to me and it sure as hell will happen to you someday," he said. Naruto stopped and turned around as a grin the size of the Hokage Mountain spread across his face; his blue eyes shining.

"I can't wait for that day. Believe it," he said before going off to find his wife for some practice rounds.

**…...**

The weeks following came and went by in a blur. February went by with minimal activity, although with a very memorable Valentine's Day evening with Sasuke. She cared for him deeply, and felt ill at ease whenever he wasn't around. Like it or not, they had yet to openly talk about their relationship. Sakura didn't blame him in the least bit because she was certainly just as skittish around that topic as well. She was content just to be with him, no labels needed. But it wasn't just the two of them. Having kids to explain themselves to was also a delicate subject. Sora and Suki, being the angels that they were, were eventually going to ask questions. She knew eventually they would have to discuss it, and she didn't know what exactly to tell them. Sora and Suki would need to know if his Mommy and her Daddy were going to get married, because to a five-year-old, dating was as foreign a term as taxes were.

But they never actually asked any questions, and Sakura figured that until they did, the topic would never willingly be brought up in conversation. Only time will tell if anything more will come out of it.

* * *

**Kakashi's POV:**

When March came rolling around the corner, Kakashi was in memory lane. Tomorrow was his little girls 26th birthday. He was sitting at his desk, but instead of reading his usual novel, Kakashi found himself flipping through a photo album instead.

He smiled when he saw the picture of one-year-old Sakura sitting in her high chair and making a mess out of her organic baby food. Tsunade insisted that Sakura be fed a special super organic baby puree at every meal, which is probably the secret to her infamous 'inhuman' strength.

He turned the page and saw little Sakura playing in the inflatable kiddy pool. Her pouting face didn't look like she was having much fun with all the water wings Kakashi put on her arms. He flipped the picture again at Sakura's first day of kindergarten.

Big green eyes on her sweet little face smiled back at him through the photo. Kakashi glanced up at his now grown up daughter's photo on his desk. Time sure does fly. Raising Sakura was one of the most difficult yet rewarding things he had ever done with his life. She was his only baby. It was a precious memory.

He eyed the jade earrings he bought her. They were the exact shade of her beautiful eyes. Maybe a party was exactly what they all needed to lighten up a bit.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Sakura lay in bed, aware that in a few minutes she would have to get up and get ready for work. She was also highly aware of the pitter patter of her son's footsteps up and down the hall. She knew he was waiting to surprise her with her birthday gift. She smiled into her pillow and wondered what this year's drawing would be. The door creaked open, and Sakura flopped over on her back and saw Sora poke his head through.

"Hi sweetie," she said.

"Happy birthday Mommy," said Sora as he jet-setted himself onto her bed for a birthday morning hug. Sakura "oomphed" as he landed square on her stomach. Ah but his baby days were officially over.

"Thank you Sora," she said while struggling to get up. Sora knocked the breath right out of her.

"I made you a present," he said while holding up and drawing of Sakura as a ninja. Sakura took the picture and stared. It was really good! She herself was dressed as a kunoichi with her leather gloves and red top with black leggings. She had an assortment of weapons including a kunai knife and some shuriken as we as what she assumed was a medicinal pouch and a head band with the leaf symbol on it. She looked totally kick ass and couldn't believe all the detail he put into it.

"Uncle Naruto said it was accurate," said Sora. "What does accurate mean Mommy?" he asked. Sakura chuckled. She might have traumatized Naruto during their sparing session.

"It means it's really fitting of me," she said. "Thank you sweetie," she said while hugging him close.

"Aunty Ino said you should dress better at your surprise party tonight," he said with such serious authority in his voice that Sakura tried hard not to laugh. So much for the surprise, but Sora had yet to catch on that he let anything slip.

"Then I will do just that. Are you going to wear a tuxedo again for Mommy?" she asked. Sora's face fell into neutral, and then regressed into annoyance.

"I don't want to," he said. Sakura pretended to pout.

"But I love when you wear those little suits. You look so handsome in them," she said. She couldn't resist scooping him up close and planting kisses on his cheeks. Sora put up the good struggle before Sakura took pity on her little might man and promised him he didn't have to wear the suit. Sora looked so relieved.

She laughed and agreed that she would wear a pretty dress before shooing him off to get ready for school. She couldn't help the anxious feeling she had in the back of her mind, and tried to brush it off as she got ready for the day. She tucked the drawing into her bag, fully intending to get Naruto's opinion of it later.

* * *

**Sakura's office:**

Sakura opened the door to her office and was immediately assaulted by the scent of roses. She actually stood and stared. Her office was covered in orange colored roses; literally. She could barely see her furniture.

"What the hell?" she said as she walked in. The scent was overwhelming. There was simply way to many roses in here. Sasuke wouldn't have done this could he? The sound of her phone on her desk jarred her. Dumping her stuff on the floor, because she didn't have anywhere else to put them now, she reached for her phone and answered.

"Dr. Haruno," she said.

"_Happy birthday…doctor_," came a distorted voice on the other end. A chill swept through her body at the sound of that voice. This was the kind of crap you saw on movies, but it was happening now.

"Who is this?" she asked, knowing she wouldn't get a straight answer.

"_Come now Doctor_," said the voice. "_You can't expect me to answer that and have Daddy all over me would you?_" he said, assuming he was male. The chill that swept through her body intensified. This person obviously knew her, enough to know that her father was a cop.

"What do you want? And are you responsible for all these roses in my office?" she asked trying to maintain a certain bravado, when really she was scared stiff. She had to let someone know and have this call traced, but dammit all this wasn't a movie and she didn't have that kind of crap lying around. She had to at least tell Sasuke, but how could she do it without breaking the call. Her cell!

"_You don't like the gesture?" _said the voice. "_I know most women prefer red roses, but you're not most women._ _Perhaps you're the kind of woman who prefers jewelry? You certainly have no qualms about wearing a one million dollar diamond necklace that Uchiha Bastard gave you every damn day," _he said with obvious hostility.

Sakura froze as she was about to reach for her cell. One million dollars? For her necklace? How could Sasuke spend that much on her? More importantly, how the hell could this person possible know that?

"Who. Are. You" she asked again through clenched teeth. "Why are you watching me?" she asked as she pulled out her cell and began to text Sasuke. Thank goodness for text messaging.

The voice began to chuckle, creeping her out even more. _"Ah but you are the most fascinating woman I've ever seen. You've accomplished so much, for a mere woman. You've earned my respect, and my admiration," he said. "Not an easy thing for a mere woman to accomplish my dear," _

Sakura snorted as she sent the message. "I'm no mere woman, you bastard," she said. "This isn't a game. What the hell do you want with me?"

"_It's really quite simple Sssakura," _he said. The way he said her name sent a new wave of chills through her body. "_What I want with you is simply…you," _he said.

"You sick bast-"

"_Be careful doctor_," the voice said suddenly. "_You have such beautiful children. I would hate for anything to happen to their sweet little faces_," he said. Sakura gasped as her legs lost their strength. She fell to the ground, clutching the phone to her ear as a bone chilling fear so great it made her nauseous engulfed her.

"Leave my children alone," she said with whatever voice she had left. "Do you hear me you bastard? Touch my babies and I swear-"

"_What doctor?" _he chided_. "What will you do? Send Daddy after me? I don't think so. I think you're smart enough to know that's not a good idea. And it wasn't very smart of you to get the Uchiha involved just now. Watch yourself my dear, or you'll be seeing a different kind of red" _he said before disconnecting.

Sakura held onto the phone as the dial tone buzzed in her ear. She was shaking. Not only was this actually happening, but somehow he knew that she sent Sasuke a text message. She screamed when her door suddenly burst open and Sasuke stood in the doorway. He seemed stunned at first by the sight and scent of all the roses, but recovered quickly and swept her up off the floor.

"What happened?" he asked in a hard tone of voice. Sakura was still too stunned to speak. He grabbed her phone and listened to static. Then he tried to check caller ID and got a restricted number. "Sakura who called you?" he asked. Her text message nearly sent him into cardiac arrest. "_The stalkers on the phone come right now!"_

When he got no reply, he turned, only to find that she had fainted in the middle of about a million rose petals.

* * *

**Kakashi's POV:**

It was safe to assume the surprise birthday party was off.

Since receiving the message more than two hours ago, Kakashi has still not calmed his fury. The fury stemmed from helplessness and the helplessness stemmed from their damn lack of anything to trace this bizarre bastard that's apparently become enamored with his Sakura.

In two hours, all they had managed to do was trace the call to a disposable phone that had been tossed somewhere near the end of the city limits; no prints or any DNA to point to a person of interest. As Kakashi exited the vehicle, he took the steps up to Konoha Leaf Academy four at a time in his haste to get to his Grandson and Suki.

Asuma and Kurenai watched as Kakashi marched toward them, demanding the children's location with his eyes alone. As he got closer he saw that Sora and Suki were sitting on couch at the side of the main office. Sora was drawing in his sketch pad and Suki was coloring one of his drawings with crayons, humming a children's tune happily in her seat.

"Have Sasuke and Sakura been interviewed?" Asuma when Kakashi stood before them.

"They're still at the police station. Sakura's trying hard to help them profile this bastard, but there's really nothing she has that can help, "he said with frustration.

"We will find this guy Kakashi," said Asuma. Kurenai nodded in agreement.

"Will you continue shadowing her on the streets then?" Kakashi asked. Asuma gave him sort of an awkward look, debating on how to phrase his next statement. Kakashi knew him well enough to know that he was withholding information. "Out with it. What do you know?" he asked. Asuma sighed.

"I'll keep tailing her, but I don't need to be shadowing her so to speak," he said. Kakashi gave him a look that simply demanded more information without verbalizing it. "I've had a hunch about this for a while now. Sasuke Uchiha takes her almost everywhere in his car. Sakura rarely drives her own car anymore. I'd say about 80% of the time she's with him, either alone or with the kids," he said.

"I know about that," said Kakashi with quiet hostility. If Asuma was trying to imply their physical relationship, Kakashi wanted to cut him off while he was ahead. He was _never_ going to be ready to talk about that. "But you still need to be discrete around Sasuke Uchiha and any other civilians,"

"That's the thing. Uchiha is on to me," said Asuma. That made Kakashi pause alright. "Yeah, I know he is. For a civilian, Sasuke's pretty hyper-vigilant. He knows he's being followed. I don't think he knows who I am or that I'm in any way connected to you or Sakura, but either way he's aware of being followed, and he's damn good and evading me," he said with a troubled look. "I can follow him; it just takes more effort,"

"How long has this been going on?" asked Kakashi.

"Few weeks," Asuma answered. "At first I thought Sasuke was being cautious for Sakura's sake. What with all this stalker business going around and he like any man would want to protect his woma-" Kurenai elbowed him in the ribs, shutting him up at his choice of words which only spiked Kakashi's simmering temper. "Err, Sakura I mean. But he couldn't possibly have any Intel about our investigation to be that cautious,"

"You're thinking he may have an informant? Itachi maybe?" asked Kakashi.

"No. Brother or not, Itachi wouldn't let Sasuke be privy to any CIA intelligence. What I'm saying is that perhaps Sasuke is cautious for other reasons. I may just be fishing here, but I think we should take a look at Sasuke and the Uchiha's in detail. None of this happened until Sakura moved to Tokyo and met him," he said.

Kakashi wasn't about to tell Asuma that he had already done an unauthorized background check on Sasuke and the Uchiha family. Nothing had come up. Sasuke's record was as clean as a whistle; nothing but a record of excellence and achievements that would make even the most accomplished of people weep with envy. But accomplished or not, Sasuke's vigilance was worth looking into again. There was always the chance that they may have over looked something, and they couldn't afford to take any chances anymore. Kakashi glanced at the children.

Sora and Suki were oblivious to any threat to themselves, and for that Kakashi would always be grateful. Children shouldn't have to fear for their safety, and that included his daughter. Sora happened to look up from his drawing and caught sight of him. The sight of his Grandsons smile lifted the burden of the situation, if only for a moment.

"Hi Grandpa!" Sora said. Suki looked up from her coloring and smiled at Sora's Grandfather. Kakashi walked over and knelt before them. He ruffled Sora's hair and patted Suki's cheek. Seeing both of the children sitting side by side made Kakashi take a moment to appreciate their remarkable resemblance to each other. They really could have been passed off as twins. Their coloring was exactly the same, save for the differences in their eyes. He looked from Sora's black orbs to Suki's big emerald eyes and suddenly Kakashi found himself thinking that he had twins for grandchildren instead of Sora alone. He didn't really know how to feel about that, but it wasn't bad.

"Are we in trouble Mr. Sora's Grandpa?" asked Suki. She must have been referring to why she and Sora were in the principal's office.

"No," said Kakashi. "You both can probably go back to class right now. I'll be here to pick you up when it's time to go home,"

"Are you sure Kakashi?" asked Kurenai.

"There's no need for them to be removed from class so early in the day. In any case I'll be here for the remainder of the day. If this keeps up they'll end up missing most of the school year," he said before turning to the kids. "You can go to class now,"

Sora nodded while Suki lunged for a hug. Kakashi was surprised, but accepted the hug happily. Sora lunged for a hug as well, feeling reluctant to let Suki out do him. The result was both children tangled in his arms, giggling over their fight for affection. Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle and lift both kids up into his arms.

"You both are really something you know that?" he said. "You put the Nara twins to shame," he said. Asuma choked back a laugh. When he thought about it, Shikamaru and Ino's kids were the real twins, but you wouldn't know it compared to those two onyx haired kids.

Kurenai took both kids back to class, leaving Kakashi and Asuma to continue talking about the situation, and Sasuke Uchiha in particular.

They would get to the bottom of this. They had too.

* * *

**Uchiha House: Later that night….**

Sasuke continued to release his fury upon the punching bag. He'd been at it for over an hour already, but the rage inside him made him numb to his surroundings. He was aware of Sakura standing at the top of the stairs leading into the basement. He figured she'd venture down here eventually, which was why he didn't switch on his spy gear. To her it looked like an average basement home gym.

Sakura also knew that he was aware of her, and felt it safe to walk down the stairs towards him. He was certainly a sight to see when he was in a kinetic frenzy. In spite of all that was going on, the mere sight of his perfectly hard and sculpted body, dripping in sweat as his abdominals flexed with each breath he took made her shiver.

Sasuke continued to go at it and only stopped when she stood directly before him and the punching bag. She grabbed hold of the bag as it swung toward her, studying it.

"I don't suppose this is stronger than the one Lee had," she said while inspecting the bag. It certainly looked like it was made of more leather and less sand. It had to be hell on the knuckles. Sasuke didn't respond, but simply stared at her face, trying to regain steady breathing.

He could see the stress under the surface just beginning to be released. She had to be in a panic over all this. She wouldn't' be sane if she wasn't.

Sakura grabbed the necklace, toying with the diamond circle pendant between her slender fingers. There was one thing she didn't mention in the police report that had been bothering her. How the hell did that guy know how much her necklace cost? This was something she was dying to ask him, and now was as good a time as any.

Sakura thought about his words over and over again before she remembered something else that bothered her even more than the cost of the necklace.

"Now you had to get the Uchiha involved," she whispered. Sasuke turned his head, not certain of what he heard.

"What did you say?" he asked quietly. Sakura turned and looked at him carefully. Now that she thought about it, the way he said Uchiha didn't sit well with her. Something about it seemed, familiar.

"He chastised me for getting involved with you," she said. "But he said your name in a way that didn't sound right," she said. She saw his eyes harden and his jaw tighten. "Sasuke…I think he knows you too," she said.

"Why do you say that?" he asked. He could see the emotions playing out on her face. She was confused and was trying to piece things together. That wasn't good for him. The thing about Sakura was that she's smart, and as a cops daughter she was suspicious by nature. He had to trend very carefully with her, but he couldn't ignore what could possibly be a link to her stalker.

"I'm saying he knows you too," she said. "He knew I was texting you, that I'm involved with you. You could be just as much a part of this as I am," she said.

"Sakura, now you're just pulling at the strings. He sent you an office full of roses! Yeah he might know about me, but I'm not the one he's really looking at, it's you," he said. He saw her about to argue and cut her off. "He doesn't know anything pertinent about me,"

"Why the hell would you spend _one million dollars_ on my necklace?" she asked suddenly, making him tack a mental step back. He wasn't expecting that, and she knew it. "Yeah, that's right, I know about that. Want to take a guess as to how? My dear little stalker told me. So no Sasuke , I don't think I'm the only one he's studying in an up close and personal manner,"

Sasuke's blood began to simmer. That bastard was crossing a lot of lines, and add that to Karin and her not so coincidental appearance in his life again, and you could count on one big fucked- up mess. He took care of that kind of mess years ago, but he couldn't be too sure now.

He should have been the only living soul to know the price of Sakura's necklace; a necklace that came from a very specific mission from his days in the sound organization. The fact that someone else knows about it did not sit well with him at all.

"That necklace is worth one million and it's been in my family for generations. It wouldn't be difficult to get the net worth just by looking at it," he said in an attempted lie that he knew did not faze her in the least bit.

"So if I just waved this around in front of your mother, she would corroborate your story?" she asked with cynicism laced in her tone.

"What are you interrogating me now?" he asked

"Stop trying to diverge from the topic. He knows you, I know it," she said. "It was something about his tone of voice. It was like somehow you were a nuisance to him. I can't see why," she said.

Opportunity struck in more ways than one with that statement, and he wasn't going to let it slip.

Sasuke forcefully shoved the punching bag out of the way and stormed toward her before the bag could swing back at him. He laced his fingers in her hair, using the grip to pull her head back, attacking her lips in a fierce kiss. She went boneless in his arms and tried to keep her grip on him as he kissed her senseless. Something she said unleashed his aggression. She felt the floor mat on her back as he brought them down, leaning onto her and using his weight to trap her.

Sakura groaned in surprise when she felt his need against her stomach. His hands slid down her sides before he pulled back from the kiss, his warm breath mixing with hers as he looked down at her possessively.

"This bastard is obsessed with you and you can't think of a reason why _I_ might be a threat to him?" he asked with dark obviousness laced in every word. Sakura could have kicked herself if her legs weren't trapped beneath his. Somewhere in that rant she wounded his male pride and unleashed the territorial aspect of his character. Retribution was at hand for her, and that might not be all bad.

"You know I didn'-" he wouldn't let her continue as his lips sealed hers in a fiery rage. Sakura tried halfheartedly to pull away from him, to talk about this instead of leaving it off to fade, but she couldn't force herself to really try. He growled in pleasure when she opened her mouth and met his tongue with her own, fighting for dominance as usual.

Sakura didn't even notice when he was slipping her shirt up until they had to break the kiss for him to get it off her. He tore her bra off next and immediately took her breast in his mouth, making her throw her head back and gasp his name as his hand enclosed the other breast before switching over. His hands slid lower, easily slipping her cotton pants off in his haste to have her bare and writhing beneath him.

Sakura felt the air on her skin as he removed the last of her clothing, before being enveloped in heat as his equally bare body cascaded upon her. She was always so out of it that she never got to undress him, but as she felt every sinewy edge of him, she became less aware of anything else. She did notice that he always left the necklace on her though. That was the one thing he never took off her.

His lips sealed themselves over hers again as his hands worked their magic on her, sliding along her lithe upper body before homing in on the very heat of her. She was so ready for him, but he needed to make her see just how much she belonged to him before taking her.

"You belong to me," he said raggedly as he slipped two fingers into her, making her moan in pleasures. "Only me," he said.

"I…I…." she couldn't speak when his fingers were doing what they were doing.

"Say it," he said as he increased his pace, teasing her by keeping her just before the edge.

"I'm yours," she gasped. He removed his fingers and plunged himself into her with one quick thrust, forcing her to contract around him, and sending her off into climax. She arched her back as wave after wave of pleasure rolled off her. Sasuke thought there was nothing more arousing than Sakura at her peak, when her eyes were the darkest shade of green he had ever seen and burning with desire. He continued with his slow forceful thrusts, determined to bring her to climax again before he had his own release.

Sakura continued to keep her hold on him, clawing her nails into his back and gripping her legs tighter around him as he continued to thrust into her, all the while staring at her in the most possessive of ways.

Passion clouded her vision, so much so that she could have sworn she saw fire in his eyes. His skin was so hot and strong beneath her hands. She could feel herself beginning to reach her peak once more, knew she would be there soon as Sasuke increased his pace and force until she was almost screaming in ecstasy.

She arched her back as she came once more, touching her chest with his and screaming his name over and over again. The site of her passion and the feeling of her breasts against his chest sent him over the edge as he found his own release, groaning her name through the motions. He slumped against her, spent after so much exertion. Sakura welcomed his weight over her even as she struggled to catch her own breath. Sasuke rolled to his side, taking her with him and maintaining their connection as he brought her on top of him.

Sakura just had enough strength left to make herself look down at him and grasp his face between her hands. "I guess it was… stupid to assume …you aren't a threat to any man," she said between breaths. Sasuke brought his hands up and rested them against her hips. Her necklace dangled between her breasts, catching the low lights of the basement and gleaming at him. She wore his mark so to speak, and it only intensified his claim over her.

"Hn," he said while breathing just as unevenly. Sakura smirked at herself at how winded he was and gave herself props. "If you think I'm going to sit back and let another man even think he has a chance with you, you're mistaken," he said. "You're mine Sakura. I don't care how possessive or ridiculous it may sound, but I won't let anyone take you away from me. Not now, not ever," he said in an almost growl.

Sakura thought her heart might just decide to abandon ship and punch its way out of her chest at the rate it was beating. She normally would have had her senses on alert at such a claim, but his words hit home and a happiness that she didn't know she had begun to sweep over her, making her smile at him.

"If you think I'm any less possessive than you are, then you're sadly mistaken," she replied. "You're mine as well Sasuke, and I'm not about to erase my presence from our life anytime soon, or ever," she said with a kiss to his lips.

"Sasuke, you have nothing to worry about," she soothed. "How can I spare a glance at another man when I have you? No one can take me from you. No one," she said. He smirked at her before rolling her over and smashing his lips against hers; fully intending to pick up where they left off. She kissed him back eagerly, anticipating more to come. Sasuke pulled back and smirked at her.

"Happy birthday Sakura," he said before he captured her lips in another smoldering kiss.

They had all night, and the rest of forever, and he didn't want to waste one minute of it. What a memorable birthday indeed.

* * *

**Miles outside city limits:**

Hindsight is 20/20. That's what he was thinking as he ripped the listening device out of his ear and hurled it across the room, narrowly missing his minion's ear and shattering into pieces. He should have never installed a listening chip in her necklace, knowing that damned Uchiha would want it on her during sex. It was one thing to know about someone touching his Sakura in such a manner, but to hear it as it was happening, how possessive and carnal the mating was, was just too much to bear.

He heard her words, and regardless of her sweet voice, they burned his ears.

His minion (mystery dude 2) knew better than to make a smart ass comment and decided to leave the room, letting his boss simmer for a bit.

Kabuto was seething. So she didn't like his gift eh? No, that wasn't it. She didn't like it because of that bastard. That damned Uchiha. He'll show her. He couldn't wait to get his hands on her and show her just how much she belonged to him, how she was _going _to belong to him and not Sasuke Uchiha. Oh she'll see. After years of ignoring his presences, she'll be seeing red.

And he knew just how to accomplish that. His little cherry blossom needed a warning.

* * *

**Next day:**

Suki hummed happily in her car seat as they drove to school that morning. Sora was sitting next to her in his own car seat (which Sasuke saw fit to remove from Sakura's car and put in his own) and making a new drawing in his sketch pad. Sakura felt like humming right alongside Suki.

She glanced at Sora from the rear-view mirror and concluded that she would have to buy him another sketch pad soon. Sora was burning through them faster than ever with a few new drawings a day. She'd buy the jumbo pack at the store next time. Her baby would need it for sure. She was contemplating buying him an ink set for his birthday in July, but didn't know if he would show an interest in ink art. Ink art was Sai's specialty, and she didn't know if she was ready to introduce Sora to that yet. It was a complex art, and Sakura wasn't sure Sora would take to it just yet.

She looked at Suki, who was content to just play with her stethoscope around her neck. Suki had often asked Sakura if she could play with her real life stethoscope, and Sakura complied, letting Suki listen with her own heartbeat. Needless to say Suki was enthralled. Sakura smiled at them from her place in the front seat. She loved them both so much. She could feel Sasuke's eyes on her even though he was driving.

Sakura turned and faced him. She couldn't stop the smile that spread on her face as she recalled their night together. After everything they had been through that day, he still managed to make her day end with quite the gift. She couldn't help but replay their activities in her mind. Every touch, kiss and caress was brought to the surface, and he could see the lust in her eyes as they misted over into that lush dark green he couldn't get enough of.

Seeing her that way brought on his desires; ones he tried hard to push back below the surface, but her staring at him that way wasn't helping him. The only thing stopping him from pulling over and taking her right then and there in his car were their two kids sitting in the back seat, oblivious to their parents' lack of control with each other.

Sakura smirked, aware of his dilemma and took mercy on him by breaking eye contract and directing her gaze to the road ahead. She nearly chuckled when she saw him visibly relax.

"Daddy, are you going to come to my recital tonight with Aunty Sakura?" asked Suki. Sasuke glanced back at her through the rear view mirror and gave her a smile, or at least as much of a smile as Sasuke could make without smirking.

"Yes Tenshi," said Sasuke as they pulled into the driveway in front of the school.

"I can't wait to see you dance like a flower Suki," said Sakura. Internally, she was hoping that she could get off work soon enough to make it to the recital. She was up to her eyeballs in patients today and didn't want to stay any later than she had too.

Suki giggled. She couldn't wait to dance with Akira and all her friends in the flower garden recital they had been working so hard at. Suki was especially happy that she would be dressed as the Sakura blossom. She was so excited that Aunty Sakura would be there to watch her dance too. Suki loved every time Sakura and Sora would come to the house for dinner, or when she and her father would go to her house for dinner. Suki also saw that her Daddy was happy too, because he would smile at her more often and he always came to her dance recitals with Aunty Sakura.

She also loved playtime with Sora. Suki tried to draw as well as he did, but she just wasn't as good at drawing things as he was. Sora never let her be discouraged though. He would tell her that if he was good at drawing, then Suki was good at coloring. So now when Sora made some drawings, he would ask Suki to pick the colors for some of them. Suki was thrilled, and even more so when her uncle Itachi stopped by and gave her own set of crayons and markers.

She glanced at Sora, who was in deep concentration over his newest drawing. Suki got a glimpse of it but only managed to see that it was probably another ninja.

"Is that a ninja drawing too?" she asked. Sora nodded but didn't give any other response. Sakura shook her head. When Sora was absorbed into his art, nothing could faze him.

They dropped the kids off at school, with Sasuke and Sakura walking them both up to the entrance and handing them off to Rock Lee. They were so grateful that the school was informed of their security situations and willing to assist them by keeping watch over their kids. Lee was more than happy to take on the job as it allowed him to fawn over Sakura every morning. Sasuke on the other hand, was tempted to do bodily harm to the green beast of youth. Didn't he realize Sakura belong to him?

Sakura managed to get him away from Lee before anything could happen and soon they found themselves at work, ready for another day. Before Sakura was able to unbuckle her seat belt, Sasuke pulled her face towards his, smashing their lips together the way he wanted to do earlier.

Sakura unbuckled her seat belt and leaned toward him more freely as she tangled her fingers in his hair and kissed him back with gusto. She moaned as his tongue clashed with hers.

"I want you," he growled as he tried pulling her closer. Sakura shuddered with her need for him, but they were in the parking lot in front of a busy hospital and she was running late as it was. Responsibility was a real pain sometimes.

"I know," she said before pulling his face away from hers. "But we can't. Not here," she said before chuckling at his expression. It was as though he just realized where they were. That didn't stop his roaming hands from groping her wherever they could. If he was trying to persuade her, he wasn't going to win.

"My office then," he said before kissing her once more. Sakura chuckled as she pulled away again and opened the car door.

"You're insatiable," she said while quickly fixing her hair in the mirror and stepping out.

"Hn," he said before stepping out of the car as well. They walked towards the hospital entrance together. Sakura was used to this by now, but the only difference today was that Sasuke had her hand firmly gripped in his as they did so. He also seemed to glare and any man that would so much as look in her way.

"Stop scaring the people," she said. "This is a hospital…_your_ hospital. You don't want to be scaring patients away,"

"He could be here," he said while continuing to scan the crowd. Sakura stopped in the middle of the quad just before the grand entrance. So he wasn't being possessive, he was being protective. She stared into his eyes as an overwhelming feeling filled her. She realized that whenever she was around Sasuke, she wasn't afraid or thinking to look out for herself, because he was there doing it for her. She felt safe around him, and he was carrying all her burdens. She was so grateful, and so happy that she had someone in her life again that she could rely on.

It was overwhelming to see how much he worried about her. Plus it was cute. She placed a lingering kiss on his lips in the middle of the quad, not caring who saw them, and there were quite a lot of people there stopping and staring.

"Sasuke…you know I-" she didn't finish as a crackling loud firing sound erupted from nowhere.

Time froze as a flurry of events simultaneously occurred within the next few seconds. The thunderous sound of a gunshot fired. Her eyes registered the blood splatter land on various places on her front side and Sakura's heart froze as Sasuke groaned in agony and clutched his chest as the blood poured out of the wound.

"SASUKE!" Sakura caught him and fell with him on the ground of the quad as he groaned, still clutching his chest. Her coat was already soaking up his blood as his wound began saturating his shirt. Sakura immediately placed her hands over his chest and applied as much pressure as she could to stop the bleeding.

"Sasuke oh GOD!" she screamed as the pressure made him groan even more in pain. The people in the quad were frantically shouting and scattering away from the area trying to get out of sight.

"Sakura…," he said with so much strain it tore her heart. "Get away!" he said. "Get out of here! GO!" he said with his eyes shut tight from the pain.

"NO!" she screamed. "I'm not leaving you." she said as the blood covered her hands. "Oh my God," she looked around everywhere as chaos ensued. "Sasuke open your eyes!" she screamed when she saw his eyelids flutter and his breathing hitch. "Sasuke!" she screamed while still applying pressure.

Sasuke didn't obey her and kept his eyes shut tight, either from the pain or losing consciousness, she didn't know. All of the sudden, Sasuke lurched from the ground, groaning in pain and wrapping his arm around her, making her shriek.

"NO! Get back down!" she screamed. "Sasuke get back down you'll make it worse!" she said while pushing him back down. In that instant, she saw red saturating his hard eyes.

Shock invaded her system in that second. His eyes were red! But there was something else. His pupils…split into something. She was too shocked to concentrate.

Sasuke was glaring up at the sky, until he shut his eyes once more. Sakura held his wound closed, trying to examine his eyes as panic invaded her system. Were his eyes bleeding? Oh God had his ophthalmic artery burst?

Sasuke shut his eyes once more and clutched his chest. With great effort, he got up from the ground, pulling her up with him and began to move towards the concrete pillars for cover. Sakura panicked when he made the tremendous movement in fear of him bleeding out even more, which he did.

"Sasuke don't move, please!" she screamed as she held her hands against his chest. There was so much blood that her hands were covered in it with trickles going down her arm and sleeves. Her coat was covered in splatter. He slumped over her when they finally reached the concrete pillar.

"SAKURA! There she is!" came Naruto's voice. Sakura looked up and saw Naruto, Neji , Hinata and Tsunade running quickly in their direction. Naruto's eyes widened in horror when he saw Sasuke on the floor in a pool of his own blood with Sakura's white coat drenched in red.

Sasuke's breathing hitched once more and his body began to go slack.

"Sasuke!" shouted Sakura as they reached them. "Sasuke open your eyes oh God!" she screamed as Naruto and Neji hoisted him up from the ground while Tsunade held his wound closed. They placed him on a stretcher and immediately began to wheel him away with Sakura in tow.

"Sakura are you hurt?" shouted Tsunade

"No it's just Sasuke!" she shouted. "Oh God Sasuke was shot! " she shouted once more as she ran with them, looking at his form and the dark red stains on his white shirt. Sasuke began thrashing on the stretcher, as if he was trying to get off.

"Stay down Teme!" shouted Naruto "Just stay down and don't move you hear me?" he shouted as they ran through the emergency room.

"Page Shizune! I want and operating room prepped and ready STAT!" shouted Tsunade as they ran him through the ER. The ER personnel all shrieked with shock when they saw their CEO bleeding from the chest and being hauled away from them.

Sakura didn't care about them as she ran alongside Sasuke, her heart pounding with fear and shock.

Sasuke was shot! Oh God Sasuke was shot! She couldn't grasp it. All she could see was his blood pouring out of his chest and his skin turning paler. His eyes fluttered open, and Sakura saw that his eyes were black once more.

"Sasuke!" she said. "Sasuke stay with me. Keep your eyes open," she said when she saw his lids flutter.

Sasuke could hear her voice as she screamed for him to stay awake. The pain in his chest was almost unbearable, and he knew that he had lost a lot of blood at this point. But he had to make sure his Sharingan wouldn't be activated in public. He kept his eyes closed until he felt it subside before barely opening his eyes again. He saw her horror stricken face and relaxed a bit. At least she wasn't hurt.

"Sak…ura," he groaned. Sakura's heart clenched even more at how painful his voice sounded. He had been shot in the chest and yet he could still talk. Her eyes watered as she held her hand against his face.

"Yes I'm here," she said. "Sasuke I'm right here. Stay with me okay, don't close your eyes!" she screamed when she saw his eyes close again. Tsunade turned to her sharply.

"We're going to surgery. Sakura stay away from there and that's an order!" shouted Tsunade. "Don't you dare set foot into that Operating Room or I'll have your ass kicked out immediately," she shouted as they quickly approached the surgical wing.

Sasuke felt his strength diminishing quickly as his awareness of his surroundings was quickly being lost. He could hear Sakura screaming, and tried with everything he had to keep his eyes open, but he couldn't.

"Sasuke!" he could hear her, and he wanted to go to her, but his body and mind wouldn't let him. The last thing he heard before blacking out completely was her voice screaming at him to come back to her, before losing consciousness.

"SASUKEEEEEE!" she shrieked as they closed the doors before her. The hospital staff were wild with shock at what they had just seen; their CEO bleeding from a gunshot wound, and Dr. Haruno standing in front of the OR and drenched in blood and screaming his name.

Sakura was left standing outside the OR, her bloody hands lingering on the door handles and eyes wide with shock. She couldn't go inside. She was frozen on the spot. She gazed at her bloody hands that were still on the door handle. Slowly she lifted her shaking hands before her and she saw just how much of his blood was all over her.

"No" she said while trembling. "No I can't lose you," she whispered. "Not you too," she said as her own breathing picked up its pace, making her light headed.

She slid to the floor, blood smearing the door as she did, and lost consciousness.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**DONT HATE ME! Thank you for reading chapter 28. I'm prepared for eggs of all kinds. I just wanted to thank all of you who messaged and threatened the stuffing out of me to update update update. Now that I have I hope you like it!**

**Thank you all who messaged me! Is it weird to say that I was happy that a lot of you cared enough about my story that you started getting hostile with your messages? lol. Well it just tickled me silly so I busted my burned out chops and produced this chapter. **

**Now i'm hoping i get reviews, but since i made you guys wait so long I wont even plead for them...i'm gonna make Sora and Suki do it!**

***Sora and Suki walk up***

**Sora- please review to authorlady's new chapter. Do it because I still have a boo boo!**

**Suki- *giggles and reaches into her docotros kit. Pulls out bandage and places on Sora's head* Review because my onichan said so! **

**:D**


	29. Pieces

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 29: Pieces**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

"_In Breaking News, Business mogul and Konoha Medical Centers Chief Executive Officer, Sasuke Uchiha was shot down in broad daylight this morning at approximately 8:15 AM in front of the prominent Tokyo based hospital. He was quickly wheeled away into the emergency room where sources say he immediately underwent surgery to stabilize him. His exact condition and extent of injuries is unknown at this point but eyewitness accounts say Sasuke was shot in the chest while on his way to work. Police will not yet comment on the incident pending an ongoing investigation. The main hospital entrance has been taped off as a crime scene, where you can still get a glimpse of the bloodshed that occurred only mere hours ago," said the news reporter as she indicated the area. "Police will not comment as of yet the circumstances of the shooting, but with a member of a high profile family such as the Uchiha's indicates this could possibly be a targeted assassination attempt. With me now is an eyewitness who saw the whole thing go down," she said while shifting her attention to a middle aged woman. _

"_He just so happen to catch my attention when he and a beautiful woman, passed me by. Based on the way he was kissing her before it happened, I would assume she was at least his girlfriend. I remember thinking it was so nice to see young love when all of the sudden we heard the gunshots. Next thing we know that nice young man was hit and bleeding all over that young woman. Thank goodness she was a doctor, and was right outside a hospital, the poor thing," she said. _

"_That doctor has been confirmed as none other than Doctor Sakura Haruno. Dr. Haruno is best known as the prodigy physician taught exclusively under the legendary Dr. Tsunade in Kyoto. Her father also happens to be Hatake Kakashi, the Captain Commander of the Kyoto Police Force. It is unknown whether or not the Commander will be a part of the investigation. The extent of Dr. Haruno's relationship with Sasuke is yet to be confirmed but sources say that they are a couple and they are close," _

"_Sasuke Uchiha is the 26 year-old youngest son of the prominent Uchiha Family of the Tokyo District. His parents, former Hospital Administrator and Uchiha Corp CEO Fugaku Uchiha and his wife Mikoto have not been able to be reached for comment. Their eldest son Itachi Uchiha is a well-known Tokyo Detective, and also could not be reached for comment, though speculation has it that he's fighting go be a part of the investigation regardless of circumstances of conflict of interest. Sasuke's only other relative is his five year old daughter Suki-"_

The TV was shut off as Naruto hurled the remote across the waiting room.

"Damned TV reporters," Naruto muttered as he got up and paced the room. Neji retrieved the remote and turned the TV back on with the volume low but continued to pay diligent attention to what the press was saying about the incident. This was bad, for a whole lot of reasons. Sasuke getting shot in broad daylight provided way too many eyewitnesses to his shooting and way too many opportunities to jeopardize their own investigation and keeping this as under wrapped as they would have liked.

"Is Kakashi here yet?" asked Neji while keeping his eyes concentration of the news. The entire hospital was in an uproar about the shooting. It was so chaotic that Tsunade had to make rounds silencing them all with enough fear to last them a lifetime.

"He went straight to the school to check on the kids when he heard about the shooting," Naruto answered. "I checked with HQ and they let me know. He thought this could have been a plot to get to the kids and didn't want to chance anything,"

"It's plausible," Neji replied. "But whoever we're dealing with knows way too much about Sakura and her routines. He must know how much security the children have as it is. I'm betting it's more likely he was trying to get rid of Sasuke," he said before Naruto got a message on his phone from the CIA HQ.

"They've finished their analysis. We all meet in an hour," said Naruto. "I don't want to leave her," he said, turning his head to look at Sakura.

Sakura had passed out for a good half hour. Hinata found her sprawled out in front of the OR wing. Sakura was covered in so much blood that Hinata thought _she_ had been the wounded one and left to die there on the floor.

Rumor has it Hinata went postal on the surrounding staff about leaving her there on the floor for any period of time. She helped Sakura clean up and change out of her bloody scrubs and into a new pair, then waited with her in the surgery waiting area.

When Tsunade came out of the OR in less than an hour, Sakura immediately assumed the worst and felt something inside her about to burst. Tsunade took one look at her face and instantly announced that Sasuke was stable and being transferred to ICU.

Now she was standing outside Sasuke's ICU unit, watching him through the glass. She hadn't said a word since she came to from losing consciousness. She was in shock, as any woman would be after having her boyfriend shot in front of her eyes; with his blood literally on her hands.

Naruto had never seen such a sight as the one he saw outside the hospital. Sakura was covered in Sasuke's blood. It's a sight he won't ever forget.

"You and everyone else here involved has to go," Neji said firmly "In the meantime, Itachi will be here watching over her. Let's go," he said while turning the TV off. Naruto walked over to stand directly behind Sakura. He wound his arms around her and pulled her against him in a fierce hug. She placed her hand over his arms and met his eyes through the reflection in the glass.

"He's-"

"It's not your fault" he said fiercely. "Don't you think for one second that any of this is your fault, you hear me?" he said. "Nothing you did or could have done caused any of this to happen and you better believe that Sakura,"

"I can't leave him," she whispered. Naruto hugged her tighter and nodded.

"I'll take the kids home with me tonight" he said. "I won't let anything happen to them. Believe it," he said. "We're going to give our statements to the police. We'll be back soon," he said. She simply squeezed his hand, letting him know she heard him.

Naruto released her and with one last look at her, he left with Neji to hear what had been found.

* * *

**Mystery dude 2's POV:**

He didn't know whether to be ecstatic or infuriated at the current situation. One the one hand, Sasuke Uchiha was finally writhing in pain and might be dead soon. One the other hand, it wasn't by his hand, and that small but significant fact just might be the _only conceivable _reason that he might wish for the bastard to survive this; so he could go back and personally kill him himself.

Now he had another dilemma on his hands. He turned to the vile red headed woman in a near hysterical state next to him, mourning the downfall of her beloved Uchiha. He wanted nothing more than to strangle her at this very moment, but refrained. Kabuto might want that pleasure himself.

After all, _she_ was the one who shot the bastard.

He was just glad that he happened to be doing recon work and spotted Karin with a sniper's riffle not a rooftop away from him. He knew right away that this would ruin their plans and tried to get to her and stop her from going insane with that thing. All he managed to do roar her name in the most imposing voice he could. She flinched at the sound of his voice and lost her aim, resulting in the Uchiha getting shot. Her scream of horror permeated the air before he clamped her mouth shut with his hand. It was then that he deduced Sasuke Uchiha wasn't her intended target after all.

She was aiming for Sakura Haruno.

Dr. Haruno would have never survived being hit by a snipers bullet. He had inadvertently saved Sasuke Uchiha's girlfriend and Kabuto's obsession, while Karin shot her own. There was irony in that somewhere, but he was too preoccupied to care. His arm was beginning to sting. Once that psychotic bitch grasped the situation, she attacked him like a wild cat on steroids, clawing at him with those red nails and scratching the hell out him. He had no choice but to sedate her.

Even in her sedated state, he could see the hatred for him in those glazed eyes. Karin was slack in her seat but focused on him with a creepy intensity that made his skin crawl.

"You lost it back there, and you only have yourself to blame," he said. "Did you honestly think shooting a woman like Sakura in broad daylight would go unnoticed? And did you really think your precious Uchiha would have let the woman he loves die without killing her assailant first?" he asked not really caring if Sasuke being in love with her was true or not. He simply asked the last question mainly to agitate her as the stinging from her scratches grew more bothersome. Karin's eyes blazed.

"_I'll kill…you," she_ whispered. He just smirked.

"Not unless Uchiha goes down first, and you've pretty much gotten that covered today," he said. He knew if she was alert, she would lunge at him again. "Let's see how you deal with Kabuto once he finds out you were about to kill his fantasy girl,"

Karin's eyes changed from hate, to horror. He couldn't really blame her. Kabuto was one creepy fuck. He didn't know all the details but he was sure there were some less than ethical things going on in that lab of his. The fact that Karin didn't mind doing the man and the fact that she hated him to a degree just didn't make any sense, but that wasn't his problem.

For now, his only problem was deciding whether or not to be happy about the Uchiha getting shot; Quite the dilemma.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Sakura waited until everyone who was permitted to see Sasuke had left his room. She couldn't face any of his family members after what had happened. She didn't want to be a coward but she just simply didn't have the guts to look at his mother without feeling like the plague. She wouldn't have been able to look any of them in the eyes after knowing that one of their own was hurt because of her.

And it _was _because of her; that was irrefutable.

She didn't intend to run into Itachi at any point in time, but that's exactly what happened. She thought everyone had left the room, but Itachi was still there lingering in the corner. His eyes shifted their focus from Sasuke, to her.

Sakura didn't allow him to meet her eyes and shifted her focus to absorbing the sight of Sasuke lying in that bed; monitors and IV's hooked everywhere and a great span of gauze covering his chest.

He looked like himself; big and long, his lean put prominent musculature exposed to the dim light. The gauze covering his chest did nothing to deter his shape. If anything it emphasized it. His dark hair still retained its luster. He looked…asleep. It was like someone simply placed all that equipment on him while he took a nap in some practical joke.

His was on oxygen, and his breathing was a bit shallow, but she now had a new appreciation for his body. He was able to survive something as devastating as a gunshot to the chest because of how strong he was. Sakura chose to believe that over chance. It was the only explanation she would give herself as she walked over to stand beside him.

It was hard to imagine that not long ago, he was covered in his own blood and hanging onto life with everything he had.

The thought made Sakura feel chilled to her bones. She remembered feeling so safe being with him, thinking that nothing could get to him. He was her strength when she needed him to be. He did everything he could to protect her. She made the mistake of thinking for a second that he was invincible, and clearly he wasn't. He was human, like her, like the rest of the population. And being with her finally took its toll on him.

Now he was here in the ICU having narrowly escaped death.

She could feel Itachi's eyes on her. Deciding just to face the accusation in his eyes and get it over with, Sakura look up at him, only to find his eyes neutral. No sympathy and no hate either.

"….Hi," she said at a lame attempt at conversation. She told Sasuke months ago that she hated silence, and Itachi was no exception to that. He simply nodded at her. Sakura almost sighed. Silence was golden in the Uchiha Family. At least Suki was wonderfully bubbly. The thought of Suki brought a whole new wave of dread.

"Did you tell Suki about what happened?" she asked in a way that fully expected an answer from him. Itachi shook his head, all the while looking at her with those calculating eyes. "Do you plan on it?" she asked. Again he simply shook his head. "Do you plan on saying anything to me or do you blame me for what happened to your brother?" she asked. Itachi surprised her by tilting the side of his mouth slightly north in a microscopic smile.

"You talk too much," he finally said, making her take a mental and physical step back. She could've laughed. Sasuke had said the same thing to her repeatedly since they met, and she'd respond in same. She didn't care. She'll talk as much as she wanted dammit.

"And you don't talk enough," she said while crossing her arms over her chest. "Like big brother like little brother," she said all the while thinking how wrong it seemed to think of any of them as little. Sasuke and Itachi were both big men.

"You're a detective," she continued when he didn't reply "Are you planning to participate in the investigation?" she asked. Itachi shook his head again, almost smirking at the small twitch in her eye. She decided to ignore his looming presence for now. Her annoyance dissipated when she saw Sasuke.

She hesitated when she tried to take his hand in hers, but made herself gently grasp his hand. It was awkward with Itachi in the room. It was almost as if he was standing guard over his little brother. What did he think she was going to do? Unplug him?

"Could I have a minute?" she asked. Itachi simply walked out of the room. Sakura sighed.

"It's precious how protective he is with you," she whispered to Sasuke's debilitated form. "I can't say that I blame him. I'm a hazard to you as it is," she said, not even flinching when tears absentmindedly rolled down her cheeks.

She should end things with him. She should distance herself from him and from Suki, even her own son and anyone else that she loves. She had no doubt that whoever shot Sasuke was after her in some way. She never believed in coincidences, not anymore at least. She couldn't fathom any one that could possibly be doing this to her, but it was happening and the people around her were paying for it. She couldn't let this continue. She had to do something. She had to make sure that no one else got hurt because of her.

But…she was human as well, and she was selfish.

She couldn't leave Sora, no matter what the circumstances. He was her baby, her life and she loved him more than he could ever know. And she would never make him suffer the pain of losing her along with Sai. He needed her just as much as she needed him. Suki was no different. If anything, that beautiful little girl needed her just as much as her son did. Sakura knew how much Suki loved her. It was in her eyes every time she looked at them. Such innocence and pure untainted love could only come from someone as precious as a child, and she was Sasuke's child. No, she could never leave Suki as well. Being a mother instilled an eternal pain at the thought of leaving her babies, making any thought of leaving them inconceivable.

But the most selfish reason she could think of, was the man lying in the bed before her. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead; the tears falling onto his skin.

She knew now that she never wanted to leave him. He was so much more to her than he could possibly know. He couldn't know how much he's changed her life over the course of the year. He was strong willed, confident and precise, calculated, smart, caring, demanding, controlling and stubborn and so vastly arrogant that at times it was stunning. Yet when she was in his arms, he made her feel so alive, and so wanted.

She moved until she sat right beside him on his bed. She grasped his hand in hers carefully and leaned as close as she could to his face, having the side of her face rest by his on the pillow. She kissed his cheek before closing her eyes, and letting herself sense him rather than see him. He was unsettlingly cool to the touch. She was so used to his warmth that this was extremely noticeable, but he had lost a lot of blood making it understandable.

She was so close to losing him. The thought that he could have died today was beginning to infiltrate her bones. She would never be able to live through another heartache like she did three years ago. He had to survive, no matter what she had to do to make sure that happened.

She thought she moved to Tokyo for a better life for Sora. But she never thought she would stumble onto this. She found so much more than a fresh start for her son and herself; she found a family and she found friends that she knew she could count on. Her son smiled more and for that she would always be grateful.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered "I don't know what to do anymore Sasuke. I don't know when this is going to end. All I know is that this can't go on. I can't bear it if anything were to happen to someone else in my life,"

His breathing was still shallow and steady. She knew he was out and couldn't hear her. Even he wouldn't be able to come to that fast.

"Would it be stupid to say that even though I should leave you, I can't?" she asked. "Would it be even stupider to say that I can't tear the kids apart? Would it be selfish to say how much I need you?" she asked.

"I need you…I…" she whispered searching his face for any sign of alertness "Please wake up…" she pleaded "I need you to wake up. I just need you" she said before closing her eyes and letting the tears run free.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV:**

He felt the pain. It spread through his body in immense waves radiating from his chest. Damn if anyone knew he metabolized faster than the average man. If he went long enough with pain, the curse seal would resurface. He couldn't let that happen.

He could sense people coming in and out of the room; his nurse and doctor as well as his parents and Itachi. He even sensed Sakura when she was in the room with him.

It nearly drove him insane just lying there as she told him how much she needed him and begged him to wake up. He could hear and sense her as she lay next to him while his damned body wasn't even able to flinch in response. She cried. He felt her tears and her lips as she kissed his forehead. He was dying to touch her, to know she was okay. He just wanted to ability to open his damn eyes and see her, see anything.

She fell asleep next to him. Her warmth transferred into his body as the air around him perfumed with her scent. At least she was safe, and with him. What he wouldn't give just to see her. She stayed with him like that for hours. Sometimes he would drift in and out of sleep, but each time he came to, she was still there.

Rage consumed him fast. He was royally pissed off that someone had shot him. Now he couldn't protect her and he had no clue when the damned pain would recede.

He had to control his heart rate. The pain was intense, but nothing he hadn't handled before. He had to focus. The sleep induced state they put him in was not to his advantage if he couldn't even open his eyes.

He suddenly felt someone enter the room, make a sound and pull Sakura away from him. Every nerve in his body tensed, unable to move and keep her with him. Who the hell was taking her away? It wasn't until he heard Neji's voice speak to someone else in the room that he only slightly relaxed before tensing again. Even now, in pain, Sasuke did NOT want him touching her.

He took deep, even breaths as he recalled the events leading up till now.

He was shot. He was shot right in front of her, in broad fucking daylight.

He tried to control his rage as his mind tried to analyze the information. Judging from the pain, he was shot in his damn chest and nowhere else. He could barely move, indicating his great blood loss. But what he didn't know was whether or not he released his curse seal. He would find out quickly enough if only he could open his damn eyes.

He could hear the monitors and smell the antiseptic scent of the ICU. At least he was in his own hospital, with his own records.

His breathing was forced now with the oxygen mask. He felt incredibly exposed not knowing exactly where he was or who saw him in this condition. He sensed the presence of someone in the room.

"I'd be happy to tell everyone you're awake," came Tsunade's voice, and with it, a great sense of relief. At least he knew he was in the hospital now. No one was any wiser about his condition. "You only need to open your eyes and tell me so,"

Sasuke struggled, but the pain was interfering with the ability to open his eyes. His heart rate began to spike as well. Tsunade shook her head and pressed a button, releasing morphine into his IV. After a few minutes, it began to take effect.

"It seems you metabolize your enzymes faster than usual; interesting," she said. Sasuke was getting thoroughly annoyed by her tone and was dying to open his eyes just so he could glare. He finally managed to crack his eyes open and found himself annoyed once more at how blurred everything was. It took him a minute, but eventually, he was able to focus on Tsunade as she flashed a damned light into his eyes.

"I have to say," she said while writing something in her chart. "You're quite the interesting patient Sasuke. For a GSW to the chest, you didn't sustain as much damage as I would have imagined," she said conversationally. "Oh sure, you'll be out of commission for a while, but you'll carry on just fine,"

Sasuke began testing out his physical capabilities by stretching his toes and legs and arms. Fingers were okay, but the tightness in his chest when his arms flexed was another thing. If the morphine wasn't there, it would have hurt tremendously.

"Sakura went home to check on Sora," she continued as if Sasuke was participating in the conversation. "He, as well as Suki are with your parents for now, but she hasn't been told about your condition as of yet. Sakura didn't know how to tell her, and no one else would without her okay. Strange how even your brother needed her consent to inform his own niece," she said while knowingly smiling at him.

"She stayed with you all night last night and refused to leave you. I forced Neji to take her home and rest. I'm sure she'll be back soon. She's stubborn like that you know," she said.

It was at this point that Sasuke was able to fully focus on her. It was evening. He didn't know what time. Hell, he didn't even know how long he'd been out for. He still couldn't find the strength to speak, and that probably pissed him off more that not being able to see.

"You probably can't do much more than glare at me seeing as how you're so tense. Relax your muscles and movement will come to you. Don't try anything miraculous, you were shot in the chest after all," she said. "Sakura's and the kids are safe so take it easy. They're going to need you to rest," she said while muttering about how she needed a Sake after lunch.

His heart rate spiked as he tried to move, actually achieving a bit of motion before retracting again.

"Rest Sasuke," Tsunade said while gently pushing him down. "Don't go ripping out all those delicate sutures in your chest,"

When he tried to move again, Tsunade gave up and upped his sleep medication. If he was going to be bull-headed about recovery, then she would just make him sleep. After a few minutes, Sasuke was out, but she could have sworn he went down glaring.

"Typical Uchiha," she said as she exited his room. "I guess it would kill them to relax,"

* * *

**Command Center: Central CIA: **

They had all gathered in the conference room to analyze the data. Every agent associated with Sakura in some way was present, skimming over various photos and data, trying to make sense of this new and violent occurrence.

"Every event from the day she moved into the city is as follows," said Shikamaru while indicating the timeline of events that have affected Sakura. "The most recent is the infiltration of her office. It's been swept for bugs and recording devices, none of which we have discovered yet there had to have been a way in which he knew what she did and when,"

"Not to mention how he managed to smuggle all those roses into her office without anyone noticing," Kiba added. Everyone sat at the large oval shaped table situated in the center of the room. Kakashi sat at the head of the table while, Neji, Naruto, Tenten Hinata, Gaara, Chouji, Kiba, Ino, Shino, Asuma and Lee as well as Tsunade and Shizune.

"It's a hospital," said Chouji. "Don't people bring in flowers every day? It would have been a task, but he could have come in at different intervals pretending they were for a patient. Personally, food sounds much better than flowers if I were hospitalized," he mumbled. Ino rolled her eyes.

"The nurses never really question someone walking around the floors with flowers," said Hinata. "Especially not in the maternity ward where that kind of gift is commonplace. Keep in mind that up until now, Sakura's situation was not made public. The staff looks out for people around the nursery to protect the babies, but they don't know to be on the lookout for suspicious people around the floor,"

"We only have so much authority as 'physicians' to tell them what to look out for," said Tenten with air quotations. "I'm telling you I don't know how doctors actually function with all the chaos. I'm dying to get back to my arsenal and shoot something" she said with a huff. Neji gave her a look, which she returned as she sifted through crime scene information of the shooting.

"I realize that the only practicing physicians here are Tsunade and Shizune," said Kakashi. "You all have ascertained more than enough medical education to take on these covert ops. But we're going to have to rely a lot more on your skills as Agents now more than ever. Your face time around the hospital will be limited. Let the look- a-likes will take care of it," he said refereeing to the actual trained physicians that were perfectly disguised to look like Neji and others when genuine surgery was needed.

"Were orange roses the only flowers found in her office?" Ino asked as she sifted through the pictures of the office. "No other colors were seen?"

"What does that matter?" asked Naruto. He was more frustrated with this situation than anyone else. His best friend was in the hospital, and the woman he considers a sister is scared out of her mind and they had nothing.

"The flowers themselves mean everything," Ino replied indignantly. She was the best botanist known with specialties in exotic plants and flowers. She was also skilled in their poisons and antidotes. "This guy's pretty symbolic. I think this goes beyond some kind of romantic obsession. If that were the case he would have given her the classic red rose. But he gave her orange, which symbolizes fascination. Something she did triggered his desire to have her for something. What that something is we can only guess. The point is he has to know her somehow; beyond what you think is in his mind. And I assume we're still talking about Sai's brother am I right?" she asked.

"For now, he's the only suspect that we know of," said Shikamaru.

"Then let's say I'm Sai's brother," said Ino. "Somehow, I got separated from my brother for years on end. I might even assume that my brother Sai is dead. All of the sudden, I somehow find out that he was alive, and he even has a family: a wife and a son. You might say that I'm pretty fascinated by that, because I sure as hell would be. Assuming that Sai knew about his sibling, things might have ended badly enough between them that he might try to take things out on his family,"

"Now you're just pulling at the strings here Ino," said Neji. "Up until now, we didn't even know Sai had living relatives. Sai never mentioned a brother and given his history with ROOT, we can't assume that his sibling was exempt from that," he said. Ino sighed.

"I realize that it's a stretch, and I'm speaking hypothetically here," said Ino. "At this point, what more can we do but play out all the scenarios of what ifs?" she asked. "Besides, those roses are not readily available this time of year. My guess is this person had to travel a lot to get them,"

"Motive is one thing," said Naruto "But Sai's brother or not, I want to know how he could have pulled off a stunt like that? When did he have the time to haul all those roses up to her office? There has to be some record of a purchase that large unless the bastard freaking gardens them for a living. The hospital is 24/7 with constant buzz of activity,"

"No one recalls seeing anything or hearing anything," said Tsunade. "But records show that it was a busy night at the hospital and if he were to simply come in one by one no one would have been any wiser to what was going on," she said. "Of course we combed the entire floor and office but as expected this guy was careful. Not a print or shred of physical evidence to nail him,"

"I don't think we're dealing with any ordinary guy," said Tenten as she studied one particular paper.

"Obviously," said Shikamaru. "But what makes _you_ think so. You've been out of the loop for a while during your maternity leave. A fresh set of eyes should help us out," he said when it looked like Tenten might send a senbon needle his way at his tone.

"We're looking at this wrong," she said as she stood up and walked toward the holographic projection screen. She brought up the information she was reading. "Look at the scenario with all the details. A military grade snipers bullet was used and shot from the rooftop of the adjacent building. The way the bullet went through Sasuke tells me that the trajectory doesn't match. He wasn't aiming for Sasuke. Rather, Sasuke got in the way of the real target, Sakura,"

The room stilled at the announcement.

"It can't be anyone less skilled than a sniper," said Kakashi. "Snipers are trained to take the wind velocity and direction into account along with distance and aim. If this was a sniper, he couldn't have missed. It had to have been Sasuke he was aiming for," said Kakashi. He couldn't believe that Sakura was centimeters away from death.

"… Something rattled him right before the shot," said Tenten. "Tipping the aim ever so slightly and missing his true aim," she said. No one said anything. It was completely plausible, yet no one dared say anything to a seething Kakashi. "Kakashi," she started. "There was no wind activity that day. Not even a slight breeze. He was interrupted…which means…"

"There could be a witness…or another suspect we're dealing with," he said.

"Which could also mean that this is more than one perp with an obsession; this is now leaning toward organized crime," said Naruto. Everyone shifted in their seats as the new direction sank in. This was more complex that they could have imagined, and worse because they still had no leads whatsoever.

Chouji coughed and stood up from his seat.

"I'll pop some corn," said Chouji as he got up and went to make a batch of something to sustain everyone. "We're going to need it," he said before exiting. Everyone else sighed as they braced themselves for research and recon. Kakashi got up from his seat and began pacing the room. Everyone left him for the time being, knowing he would need space. They all had a lot to digest at the moment.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

She watched both children as they slept peacefully in Naruto and Hinata's guest bedroom. She was surprised that Suki remained here with them. She assumed that her Grandparents would have gotten her. But when Hinata explained that Naruto simply refused to hand her over to them, she smiled. She could always count on him to know what she needed.

"Why don't you stay here with them?" asked Hinata. "Naruto and I would rather you stay here with us tonight. I don't think it's wise for you or the kids to be alone," she said. Sakura nodded in agreement. She wasn't about to argue with anyone about that issue now. She was exhausted, and she missed the kids more than she knew.

"Thanks Hinata," she said. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys,"

"You're welcome. Let me get you something to sleep in," she said before leaving and returning with some her pajamas and bidding her goodnight. Sakura changed quickly and tried to figure out where to sleep on the bed. Suki was curled up on one side while Sora was sprawled out on the other and with one wrong move, he would fall right off the bed.

Sakura smiled and gently lifted him in her arms and crawled into the middle of the bed before placing him beside her. She brought Suki closer on her other side. Both children instinctively rolled into her warmth, snuggling against her sides. Their innocent sleeping faces brought tears to her eyes.

She loved them so much. She would give them a peaceful night's sleep before explaining what happened to their…to Sasuke, she thought.

"Mmmm," Suki stirred, making Sakura gently rub her back to sooth her. Suki blearily opened her eyes.

"Go back to bed sweetheart," whispered Sakura. "I'm right here,"

"Aunty Sakura," mumbled Suki. "Where's Daddy?" she asked. Sakura noticed that Suki was already drifting back to sleep, and knew she didn't really have to answer her. When Suki was fully asleep, Sakura felt like the biggest jerk.

She had no idea how she was going to tell them about Sasuke. Everything was just falling to pieces around her but she knew it was inevitable. Regardless of her stress, sleep was merciful and took over her thoughts for the rest of the night.

* * *

**Rooftops:**

Kiba and Itachi were sent back to the crime scene to see if they could find anything to police might have missed. Kiba had Akamaru with him, and let him loose to see what he could find while Itachi scanned the surrounding perimeter for anything amiss.

Akamaru picked up something right away and began heading in that direction. He came toward the edge of the rooftop before lifting his head and signaling that he had found something.

"He's got something," said Kiba as he walked toward Akamaru. He knelt down beside his faithful dog, patting his head when he saw exactly what he found. He flashed a UV blue light in the patch of gravel and smirked. "Good Boy," he said. Itachi came and knelt beside him.

His eyes narrowed at the illuminated spots on the gravel invisible to the naked eye. He took out the specimen bottle and swabbed the small flecks of area that barely marred the ground. He put the swab into the vile and held it up before him as the fluid turned pink. Kiba smirked once more.

"Got him," he said triumphant that they now had a blood sample of the assailant.

* * *

**CIA LAB:**

Anko snuck into the CIA lab late in the night, carrying a vile full of a red substance. This was her only chance to get an answer and she wasn't going to waste it.

Anko placed the sample onto the slide and looked at the image. She had had an itch about Sasuke Uchiha ever since the night at the gala all those months ago. It was stewing in her mind for months when all of the sudden she had reason to pursue that itch and the opportunity of the lifetime when he was shot.

It was easy enough to get a sample of his blood from the crime scene. The results were now in. She knew it, and now had the proof.

"Got you," she whispered into the microscope as the black cells invaded the slide. She now had the proof.

Sasuke carried the curse mark of Orochimaru.

* * *

**Kabuto's POV**

It was simple enough for him to tweak the necklace and duplicate its transmission capabilities to split two ways. It was a bit more complex in hiding the recording capabilities. There was no choice but to substitute one of the delicate diamonds with a diamond weaved white microphone sheet. The sheer diamond dust would fool even the most meticulous diamond experts, and even a pesky Sound rebel.

There were not many instances where she took that damned necklace off. He had to take a chance and catch her with it off, and his minion saw it one particularly bloody day at the hospital. Sakura had just stabilized a trauma patient and ended up covered in blood and other nasty bodily fluids. He had one of his nurse minions follow her into the showers and as she cleaned up, performed the tweak within minutes.

This was two nights ago, and he now regretted it more than ever. The repercussions were too great, and although he took immense pleasure in knowing Sasuke Uchiha was nearly killed, he couldn't ignore the fact that this could have ruined everything.

He turned to the woman responsible. Karin was sitting in her chair, still seething after her stupid mistake.

"A little birdy told me you decided to take matters into your own hands," he said before grabbing her by the neck and holding her up against the wall. Karin grasped his hand around her neck, yet when she got a good look at his face, she cringed.

"What...did you…do…?" she asked while staring at his pale scaly skin. His eyes were also changing into a diluted form of yellow…so much like _he_ used to look.

"I'll tell you what I will do," he said "I'll use you to try out my latest experiment. Now that I think about it, you're type of blood just might do," he said before shutting the door and swallowing her screams.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**Thank you all who messaged me and reviewed the last chapter. I haven't had the time to reply back to you all but I've read them all and appreciate any and everything you guys have to say about the story.**

**Please REVIEW**


	30. Choices

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 30: Choices**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Sasuke's ICU room: **

The figure moved in the shadows and infiltrated the room. Get in, get out. That's what they had to do. Sasuke was asleep, but barely. He must have still been under from the meds, which worked for now. Can't have him waking up; too many questions would arise.

The figure placed the note on the side of his bed. The message was clear, and the person was confident Sasuke would figure it out within seconds. He needed to know. The figure knew that Anko Mitarashi had figured it all out.

The figure trusted that Sasuke would do what was needed. He needed fair warning. The figure didn't see this as a betrayal to the CIA, because it wasn't. Sasuke needed to make amends, and the figure decided that this was the time. If the Agency apprehended him, Sasuke would lose his chance.

Without a sound, the figure took one last look at him, before slipping out of the shadows and out of sight.

* * *

**Sora and Suki:**

Sora knew something was wrong when his Mommy said Suki was going to stay with them for a while. Everybody came over to the house earlier because Suki's Daddy was in the hospital. His Mommy told him that Sasuke got hurt at work and he needed to stay at the hospital to get better. When Sora asked how Sasuke got hurt, his Mommy wouldn't tell him. Sora really wanted to know because Sasuke was the strongest adult Sora had ever known, and he thought nothing could hurt him. Sora kept asking his Mommy, but she always said that she didn't know and that the best thing to do was to make get well cards for him because Sasuke really likes his ninja drawings. He told Sora just the other day.

Suki asked when he would get better and told them she needed to give Sasuke a kiss to make him feel better. Sora saw his Mommy smile and say that when it was okay, she would be able to do that. Sora thought she was acting weird because she would always peek out the windows and make sure they were locked. She also said they weren't allowed to play outside for a while.

Sakura tucked the kids in their beds for the night for the third night after the incident.

"Goodnight sweetie," she whispered as she kissed Sora's forehead. She moved to Suki's bed and did the same. "Goodnight sweetheart," she said before kissing her forehead and making sure Tonton was near. She turned off the light and closed the door.

Sora began drifting when Suki spoke.

"I miss my Daddy," said Suki. Sora turned his head to look at her. Suki was curled up on her side with her stuffed piggy in her arms. She said his name was Tonton, and he laughed because his Grandma Tsunade used to have a real piggy named Tonton.

"He'll get better," said Sora "Mommy said so and she's a Doctor remember?"

He knew Suki was still sad because she didn't smile.

"But how come Uncle Itachi said nobody can see Daddy?" she asked. "My Grandma told me that when people are sick, you're supposed to go to the hospital and give them flowers. Akira said so too because her Grandma and Grandpa sell flowers and they said we have too,"

"Mommy said she doesn't think he'd like flowers because he's a guy" Sora said recalling the way his mother started acting weird when he mentioned flowers. Little did he know about the incident in her office. "She said that we should make him some ninja drawings because he said he likes those,"

"But I can't draw like you can," said Suki with a pout.

"Then I'll draw them and you color them again," Sora said. "My Grandpa gave me lots of new crayons and markers,"

"Okay," she said. "Do you think Daddy's…okay?" she asked with a big yawn.

"Uh huh," said Sora. "I know he is because he's strong like my Grandpa. He told me he's stronger than a ninja" he said with a yawn of his own. Whenever Suki started yawning, he would always start right after.

"My Daddy will get better after I give him a kiss," said Suki followed by a great yawn. "Because kisses will make him all better," she said and then closed her eyes in sleep. Sora's eyes fluttered closed after hers, not commenting on the kisses and getting better. His Mommy told him that every time he got a boo boo. She would kiss him and say all better now. And his Mommy was always right.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV:**

The message on the note next to his bed was simple, and effective.

"I.C.U- N-C.I.A"

Just minutes before, Sasuke had awakened in what was instinctively and inner knowledge of impending danger. He opened his eyes, scanning the darkened ICU room, noting that there was no one inside. In his peripheral sight he could see a few ICU nurses at their stations busy with charts. It was a quiet night, but that didn't mean safe. The note next to his bed was proof.

There was no time to think. He had to move.

Sasuke was ready to curse Tsunade into the sky for putting him in a medically induced sleep, but it was just the thing he needed to get his ass in gear. It opened up all the flood gates that his lust for Sakura had clouded.

"Damn," he cursed as he fiddled with the monitor on his bed so that the rhythms repeated in cyclical motion. It was as simple as redirecting the wirings in the back. Once it repeated he pulled the nodes off his chest. He couldn't have the nurses rushing in thinking he'd gone into cardiac arrest if he just pulled them off.

The note told him that at least one person knew of his past. Their identity was unknown but they bought him time and that alone was enough to known they didn't want him found out just yet at least.

He activated his Sharingan, and with painful determination, slipped out of bed and walked toward the cubby full of supplies and gowns each room had. He grabbed a pair of scrub pants and pulled them on, not even attempting the shirt with the gauze over his chest. The stinging sensation told him his movements were probably causing it to bleed again.

He grabbed the note and slipped it into his dressings. Whoever left it here probably wasn't dumb enough to leave and evidence of them on it, but you never know. In any case, he couldn't leave the damn thing there. Silently, he pulled a chair towards the vents near the ceiling. It was the only way. Bracing himself for the pain, he jimmied the vent open and pulled himself up. The movement sent a searing pain across his chest and he knew at that point he had opened his stitches, but he couldn't stop.

He escaped his ICU room through the vents on the ceiling. He knew the layout of every floor in this hospital and thought up of every scenario in case he was discovered. This was one of them.

Thankfully he knew this hospitals blue prints from the inside out, and he knew this floors vent lead to the service staff section of the hospital and also the staff elevators; the ones that didn't have security cameras, and would lead him straight up to his office.

There was just enough room for him to painfully slide his way through the cold dark square of the ventilation system. The fans that kept the air flowing blew icy air in every direction. Most people weren't aware that hospitals were typically kept cool to prevent the spread of germs, which thrived in warm environments. So they weren't constantly blasting the air for nothing.

In any case, the cool air took a bit of the sting out of his burning chest. After fifteen piercing minutes, he finally made it to the service station vent where he made a sharp left and stared down into the ceiling vent of the service elevator. No one was there. He punched the vent open and slipped inside. He pushed the button taking him to his office floor.

How could he have been so blind?

He pulled out the note from his pocket and glared at the message- I.C.U-N-C.I.A

"I see you in CIA" he said under his breath reciting the real meaning of the note as if it were a curse.

The CIA was onto to him.

If they hadn't been before, they certainly were now. The note proved as much.

He was the one of the worlds most wanted rouge assassins. Agencies from all over the world were on the lookout for who he used to be, and never really knowing the man behind the killer. But someone was finally on to him; escape was necessary.

As he rode the service elevators, a thought occurred to him. For now it was a suspicion, but he had no doubt it would be confirmed. He needed his computer.

Whoever wrote that note had made him. He needed to know who that was.

He made sure to never draw attention to himself throughout the years. His records were impeccable; nothing out of the ordinary there. But he couldn't chance it. The elevators stopped at the floor just below his office level.

His computer would tell him all he needed.

* * *

**CIA Laboratory: **

"Shit," Anko cursed as she took a breath and skimmed over the finds once more. "Shit, shit shit," she repeated.

Anko thought that she would feel something in the area of shock if and when she confirmed Sasuke having the curse mark, and initially she did. But then, when she really got down to the nitty-gritty of the matter, she discovered that she really shouldn't have been shocked at all.

She just didn't want to be right.

She knew of the Uchiha clan's long history with the CIA, and even before there was an agency they were prominent members of any kind of law enforcement back as far back as the Edo period. They had deep seeded roots in all kinds of military and political dealings as far as government went. Along with other prominent families such as the Hyuga's or the Senji clan, the Uchiha's also shared unique physical abilities that were rumored to be advantageous in battle.

She dismissed them as a myth before she met Kakashi, and learned the story of his gifted Sharingan eye.

For the past eight generations, the Uchiha clan's involvement in the agency has dwindled down to one member per family who would be informed and accepted into the CIA. The bond was usually passed from father to son and on rare occasions, mother to daughter.

Itachi was their front runner this time and Sasuke was their problem.

No one ever thought about it but Sasuke fit all the right criteria, just as she once had, to fall into the clutches of Orochimaru. She had to tell the agency and she had to tell Kakashi right away. She knew that.

It made sense. Now if only she didn't have one other pressing matter to tell him first. She just couldn't hide it anymore.

* * *

**Kakashi's Office:**

"What else could possibly happen?" Kakashi asked himself as he plopped down in his chair. After the meeting and combing through of all the latest finds, he was spent. Itachi and Kiba had found trace amounts of blood on the roof. Testing confirmed that it matched the blood found in Sakura's house after the break in meaning her stalker was in all actuality, Sai's brother. Itachi also noticed scuff marks on the concrete, indicating some type of struggle. Sai's brother was not alone up there. He was either the shooter, or the one that interrupted the shooting.

Their money was on him being the shooter.

Either way, he was their number one suspect. The fact that he's after his dead brother's wife was not any coincidence. The world was small, but not that small. There had to be another link in there somewhere and Kakashi had a feeling it was right under his nose. Then there was Sasuke. How did he fit into all of this?

Kakashi sighed. This was a mess, and he had yet to see how Sakura was holding up for himself. From what he was told, she and the children had stayed in Sasuke's home per Itachi's request. Sasuke's security system was state of the art, and though he didn't like admitting it, he was relieved that she had the Uchiha's looking out for her.

The frustration with this investigation was beginning to get to him. He hated feeling so helpless when it came to Sakura. Gaara had sent a message requesting a meeting with him as soon as possible. Kakashi had not forgotten that Gaara had taken it upon himself to investigate Sasuke and Sakura off the grid. He must have found something, or he wouldn't have bothered calling. This had been a hectic few months. He couldn't believe how much time has gone by.

He was tired, and frustrated and leaning over the edge. He just needed a break. Thinking about that made him think about Anko.

He hadn't had a chance to see her as much as he would have liked. She checked in with him from time to time but she was preoccupied going back and forth from Kyoto with their other missions that didn't involve this case. Someone had to see to other matters. It had been almost three months since he had last seen her, and it was torture.

He missed that crazy dango-loving tomboy.

He reached for the phone to call her just at the doors to his office opened. No need for the phone anymore as Anko walked right in as if it hadn't been three whole months since he saw her. Something changed about her, he thought after giving her the once over. Not much to see as she had her coat buttoned all the way up with her arms stuffed in the front pockets, but still. It wasn't that cold out was it?

"Yo," she said. He immediately went on alert at the tone of her voice and the look on her face. Something was wrong and he knew it. He got up and walked around his desk and straight towards her. Her eyes were dark; something was really wrong.

"I have someth-"she was cut off as she was pulled into his arms. Her arms that were stuffed into the front pockets of her coat acted like cuffs she couldn't escape from.

"First things first," said Kakashi as he found her lips. "I haven't seen you in months and I can wait for whatever it is you have to say," he said before kissing her again. To say she was shocked wouldn't cover it. Kakashi was a perpetual low-key flirt since the day she had met him, but never had she seen this passion from him outside the bedroom. The pressure from the job had to be getting to him, and she was about to make it a whole lot worse.

He didn't realize how much he missed her until now. His career made for a very solitary life, but other than Sakura, Anko was the one other constant he could depend on. Perhaps it was the time spent away, but she was as beautiful as ever. Not that he would tell her that. She would just punch him at the girly remark.

When he finally pulled away, Anko had to catch her breath. She missed him too, more than she wanted to admit, and she hated being the messenger and adding to his burdens. But technically part of it was his fault so he could just deal with that.

"Sit down. You're not going to like this," she said. When he didn't let her go, she sighed. She knew he was analyzing her. She pulled her coat closer to herself as a shield. "It involves the Orochimaru case," she said. "We cleared out that base of operations years ago, and we thought that we eliminated all of his associates. But we knew there was no way of knowing if we got everyone. Now we know that there is at least one person who got away and we know who that is now," she said getting the outline out there as painlessly as possible.

The jolt he felt when he saw here again lingered for a bit. It took him a few seconds before the severity of what she told him sunk in.

"What!" he asked, or rather shouted. That case file was the biggest catastrophe and victory in the agencies history. "Are you serious? Have I been so off with the organization that I wasn't informed about it sooner? Who is it?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No. It wasn't an official find and I was the only one working on it. No one else knows," she said. "I knew if I made it official then things might go out of control and I couldn't let that happen to your investigation," she said. Kakashi picked up on the link.

"How would that case file interfere with what's going on now?" he asked. "How are they connected?" he asked. Any type of association with the Orochimaru case and Sakura was too frightening to think about. Anko was torn. He had to know, but she couldn't help but feel like it was a betrayal. She had to get over herself.

"We know that Orochimaru had several henchmen carrying out his orders. He had small groups of them scattered throughout the country and we've managed to locate them all, or at least that's what we thought," she said almost shuddering at all the types of characters they came across. "He was known to favor one person over the others for a highly unstable genetic mutation. As you know, I was the first one out of hundreds to survive it," she said. She knew he could feel her shaking and she cursed Orochimaru in hell. She hated bringing up this part of her past again.

Kakashi remained standing right in front of her without making any contact. He knew that this was a part of her past that she had yet to forgive herself for, and he would make it easier for her to talk about by not trying to comfort her. She hated showing weakness, and he wouldn't make her think she was.

"Go on," he said. Anko took a deep breath. Her emotions were shot.

"After me, we didn't know if he would continue, but I know now that he found another subject for the curse mark experiment; one that had the genetic kick he needed to increase its power," she said. "That person is still alive. That person is _here_," she said as she stared directly into his eyes. She took a step back and braced herself. His proximity was doing things to her.

"He carries the curse mark….just like me," she continued. Kakashi placed his hands on her arms, preventing her from backing away from him anymore than she already had. She looked ready to pass out. She didn't know why she felt the need to protect him, even as she was about to turn him in. She felt a jolt in her abdomen making her gasp and hold her coat closer to herself. Kakashi, thinking she was in pain, eased up his pressure on her arms.

She had to tell him soon, and the news of the curse mark made Kakashi even more on edge. The curse mark was nasty business, and he saw firsthand what could be accomplished with that. The fact that someone else had it and not having it monitored had alarm bells ringing.

"Who is it?" he asked again. "Why is it killing you to tell me who it is?" he asked not liking how she was so distraught. She looked into his eyes, knowing that what she said was going to send him back to relieve those horrible times again. His daughter was once again going to be thrown in the middle.

"You need to keep these things in mind. Not many people that were subjected to the curse survived. It had a 99% mortality rate," she said. "This person was resilient enough to not only possess it, but control it without the use of medication. He can't be taken lightly and we can't act without thinking. Remember that when I tell you who it is" she said. "Don't make Sakura suffer any more than she has too," she added. She saw the change in Kakashi's eyes as his brilliant mind put the clues together. He needed to hear it.

"Anko…," he said in a soft voice with deadly undertones. "Who is it?"

"Sasuke Uchiha," she said even as his arms increased their pressure. "All this time, it was Sasuke Uchiha," she said. Kakashi's eyes hardened immediately as his head shook in denial.

"…No," he whispered. Not this. Not him. It couldn't be. It was impossible. "That can't be right. He couldn't-"

"It's Uchiha," she said firmly. "I thought I was seeing things when I thought I saw the curse mark on his neck, but I wasn't. Sasuke was the unknown assailant caring out Orochimaru's missions. Sasuke was the curse marked assassin that killed so many people. Sasuke has the genetic boost of the Sharingan to both enhance his power and give him the ability to maintain it on his own. We never even once considered Sasuke for the agency but we failed to consider that Orochimaru might have known about him. We knew he wouldn't give up the curse mark project," she said. "It all fits. I wouldn't be telling you unless I was sure,"

"How can you be sure?" he asked. "There is nothing in his file to implement him even though I have Gaara looking over…" He paused as he recalled Gaara's urgent message. Was this part of it? Had he figured it out as well?

"I've had my suspicions ever since the gala in December, but I had no proof," Anko admitted. "I took a blood sample from the crime scene and it's confirmed. He's been faking his medical records for fourteen years. His DNA is riddled with the Sharingan and the curse mark. Because of the Sharingan, his cells are different from mine. The curse mutation looks more hostile,"

An emotion that was a mix between of rage and shock overtook him. How could it have been possible? How could two brothers who come from one family, live under the same name and walk different paths? How could this have gotten past Itachi? It was impossible. Sasuke Uchiha was the ace in Orochimaru's sleeve that had eluded them for years?

The rage came next. His daughter…his Sakura, was once again in the arms of a killer. And once again, he would break her heart; for that alone, Sasuke would pay.

"Have you told anyone else?" he asked. "Was his shooting an agency decision? Damn it my daughter was right there, she could have been killed,"

"No," she said. "The shooting was not from the agencies command, it really was an anomaly associated with Sakura. And I've told you you're the only one that knows. The bigger problem is the curse mark. I have never seen a mutation like that one before. It evolved to a level that we never anticipated. But Sasuke has a daughter, we don't know if the curse could be passed genetically or what side effects there may be to her,"

"That doesn't matter for now. Suki's perfectly fine," he said, confused when she shook her head.

"It matters. It matters more than ever now," she said. When he still looked confused she braced herself. "I'm so sorry. I've dealt you a major blow and I'm about to add to that. I was too damn scared to tell you at first, what with this investigation going on and you already had one kid to worry about. I just didn't know how to tell you and now it can't wait,"

She stepped away from him and pulled her arms out of her coat, undoing the buttons. When she pulled back the flap and smoothed her hands over the curve of her abdomen, Kakashi's eyes widened. It had been three months. Three long painful months without her, and he realized now that it may have been more than that.

"It matters a whole lot now… because I'm pregnant," she said, making herself look into his eyes. "Six months along. And don't you dare ask me who the father is because you damn well know it's you and always has been _you_" she said, hating herself when water threatened to spill over her eyes. Pregnancy hormones were a bitch. How did Kurenai do it?

It took him a while.

It took him a long while. More like the span of a full two minutes. He simply froze.

Every thought circling in his mind had fallen back as all he could see was her.

In the span of ten minutes, his world was flipped upside down. Pandemonium would soon be unleashed. Sakura will be tossed around in secret once more. Orochimaru and all his evil were about to resurface again but _this_….but _her_….

Kakashi moved so quickly she nearly missed him. A split second later, she was in his arms once more.

"You really are _insane_," he said before kissing her. "You're aware of that aren't you?" he asked. Anko berated herself for sniffling as only girls cried and well…she was one of them.

"I have the curse. You have the Sharingan. This baby's makeup is already set up just like Sasuke. We need to test his daughter. She's in danger too. The answers we need have to be in her biological information,"

"We'll have Tsunade do a full work up on you. _Nothing_ will happen to our baby…or you, I promise you. I won't let anything happen," Anko tried to pull herself together, but failed. The weight of the world was no longer on her shoulders. She allowed herself to lean on him.

Sakura was being stalked, Sasuke Uchiha was a wanted assassin, and amidst all that, she and Kakashi were soon to have a baby, whose future was as uncertain as ever.

He dared to ask himself once more. What else could possibly happen?

* * *

**Sasuke's POV:**

Sasuke heaved himself out of the elevator and into his office and immediately began to get to work. The dressings over his chest were now stained red. His stitches had to be re-done, but he had to escape first. He only had so much time until someone noticed he was gone.

Ignoring the pain in his chest, he activated his super computer and left the desktop computer alone. There was nothing in there that would incriminate him. What he had to do was retrieve his super computer system out of his black lacquer desk. That was as simple as sliding the compact component out of a hidden cubby built into the desk. Before he did that, he had to confirm all of his suspicions, now that he knew where to look.

There had to be at least one person filtering around the hospital in order to get any intelligence on him. He had to pull up his staff and volunteer files and compare them to the CIA databank. From there it was a matching game. Anyone working here would show up there.

Cracking into the CIA databank was no easy task, but his computer was no joke either.

The hologram filtered the results in the air before him. He took that time to get a black jacket from the spare set he always kept in his closet. Even though it was the evening, he couldn't be seen walking around with blood stained bandages on his chest. It took a matter of minutes before the matches, more than he could have ever imagined, presented themselves before him. His breath hitched, and with it a vast sense of disbelief.

Below the files, the images spread before him.

They were CIA; every last one of them. Pictures and profiles filled his brain with fact after covert fact.

Sasuke glared at the screen, as if it could feel his anger and disappear. All these years and never once did he suspect them. He was so busy trying to be undetected, that they flew by his radar and went in the complete opposite path. ; A rouge killer and the CIA, walking side by side.

Neji and Tenten were actually married. So were Naruto and Hinata and Shikamaru and Ino and Kiba as well. The children they have are legitimate; that much was all true, but that was all that was true. Hell, even Rock Lee and Kurenai from the school were agents as well as Chouji from the hidden leaf restaurant. Who wasn't a damn agent at this point, he thought as he skimmed through photos and files of their missions and history.

They were all scouted for CIA training at age eight. They all made the cut at age twelve and began their specialized schooling and training for the agency. That was right around the same time Orochimaru had found him.

Neji and Hinata had a long standing family history with the agency as well as some specialized genetic scouting abilities unique to their clan. Tenten was a weapons specialist; Rock Lee was a combat expert. Kiba Inuzuka was the leader of the Canine unit. Shikamaru was their lead tactician and Ino was a botanist and Chouji was the agricultural expert. Even Itachi, his own damn brother.

Then there was the Dobe.

Something about his file was off, and by off he meant classified. Even Sasuke wasn't able to breech that security. All he knew was that Naruto's abilities far excessed any of the other agents and his DNA information was sealed. He was classified under a level 5 danger unit. He was the most dangerous out of all of them.

But his friends weren't just any agents. They were the elite. The most highly skilled, highly trained in all their respective fields. And surprise surprise, who was their leader? Sasuke would have attempted a laugh if he were capable of it.

Hatake Kakashi was the ring leader.

He should have known. Police Commander my ass, he thought as he skimmed through Kakashi's impressive records. Sasuke knew now that none of them, especially Kakashi and the Dobe, were to be underestimated. If he made them, it was only a matter of time before they made him as well, if they haven't already.

He knew now that Sakura's life was orchestrated as such to protect her from the dangers of her father's occupation. There was a separate file on Sakura alone and it was specially encrypted.

Something worth guarding was something worth knowing.

His computer got to work. It took a full minute, but it managed to bypass their system and reveal its contents. Once again, Sasuke saw red.

It was a file on all the kidnapping and assassination threats and attempts that were made on Sakura.

They started as early as her birth. Various groups and figures have used Sakura as leverage against Kakashi for being busted in their operations. The files indicated that Kakashi saw to the death of everyone that dared to threaten her and knew of his identity. On that front they were united. He protected her well. For that, Sasuke decided that Kakashi was to be respected. But what would the admirable Commander think to know his daughter had been in the arms of a different killer, one more lethal than anyone they had ever known; more lethal because this assassin was determined not to lose her.

The file on Sakura changed at age sixteen.

Too curious for his own good, Sasuke unlocked the files and felt his pulse quicken at its contents.

Sakura was sixteen years old at the height of the Orochimaru investigation. Kakashi lead the CIA investigation on that case, meaning he had to spend significant time away from her. The threats against her never ceased, and he had no choice but to assign a highly skilled body guard for his daughter's protection.

And that's when he finally saw it, when he finally knew.

The agent in charge was also sixteen. He was a covert Anbu black ops ROOT division operative by the name of Sai.

The face on the picture before him hit him with a force unlike any he had ever known. He finally had a face to the name, and that face could have mirrored his own.

Her husband was a CIA agent. Her father assigned him to protect her, and he did that and more. He married her. He put his child in her. Then he left her in death.

Rage….all he could feel was rage.

It bubbled beneath the surface of his skin. That bastard was nothing more than an agent assigned to her protection and instead he used her. They all used her. Her life was one lie after another. His fury increased when he realized he was no better. If anything he was worse.

Sasuke wanted to kill someone, and if that bastard Sai was still alive, Sasuke knew he'd kill him himself.

The pain in his chest reminded him of his precarious condition. He had to get moving. Now that he had all the info he needed, he could get to work. The emotions and revelations were too much even for him to process at the moment. He needed time.

After disabling his security, Sasuke eliminated all other evidence of his presence. He took the pictures on his desk and had the final touch by spraying his office was a chemical meant to erase all fingerprints and DNA left behind. Then he opened one glass unit and scanned the city below him. Using his grappling equipment, he shot out the harness and was gone into the night.

He had one more stop and he couldn't waste it.

* * *

**Sasuke's House: **

Sakura walked out onto the terrace in the yard. It was unusually cool for this time of year. The night's sky was an intense deep blue and illuminated by nothing more than the bright white full moon. No stars to mare the sky at all.

The kids were asleep, safe and sound in their beds.

The wind picked up and blew her hair behind her, hugging her frame. She closed her eyes, letting the chill sweep her. It helped her think about things. She wanted to go back to Sasuke. She wanted him here with her and the kids. They needed him and missed him so much. She could see it in their eyes. He was so much a part of their lives that being without him was so strange.

She grabbed the necklace and toyed with the diamond circle. He was a big part of her life as well. She felt sick without him. Tsunade said he was recovering fast, although he was still not well enough to leave the care of the ICU. Sakura wanted nothing more than to be by his side until he woke up, but she needed to be with the kids even more, especially Suki.

But something didn't seem right. She couldn't shake the nagging feeling in her gut that something was wrong, aside from the craziness of her situation, or rather _their_ situation. She couldn't put her finger on it but she knew something was about to change.

She hated this. She hated feeling weak. That was why she pushed herself through life to get stronger. From the moment she was teased as a child for her big forehead, to the time she fought with her father for Sai's love and the years she spent working herself to the bone in her studies to become a doctor while pregnant, Sakura vowed she would overcome her own weaknesses in a world where the weak couldn't thrive.

She only hoped it was enough to get her through this ordeal.

* * *

**Suki's room:**

Sasuke entered Suki's bedroom without making a sound. The security camera in his basement showed Sakura out on the balcony before he disabled the system entirely. He knew the CIA would be all over his house once they figured things out, and they would. He couldn't leave anything to chance.

He saw that both kids were out for the night, and felt a new kind of twinge in his chest at the thought of leaving them.

He placed his hand over Sora's head. He was an amazing kid. Sasuke couldn't have been more proud of the boy. He showed the potential to be great, in anything he did. But his most outstanding characteristic was his love for his mother. He was a protector by nature. This five- year-old boy was Sasuke's solace. He would take care of his family. Sasuke finally had a son.

Suki slept peacefully in her bed. Her angel face highlighted by the moon made Sasuke wonder how such a child had come from him. She was his redemption. For all he did in this world, it was only right that he give it something good, and that was Suki.

He placed his hand into her open palm, smiling as her tiny fingers wrapped around his and held on tight. It was just like when she was born. When her mother died, Suki was all he had left, and the moment she grasped his finger with her tiny hand and squeezed with all her newborn might, he was hers.

He vowed to end this and come back to his family. They weren't safe so long as those people were still out there. This was his chance to finally put his past to rest.

He kissed Suki's cheek and walked out of the room.

**…..**

Out in the cover of the trees, Sasuke watched her walk around the terrace, and felt his heart stop for just a moment at the sight of her. He decided then that he would never get accustomed to just how beautiful she really was. The moon beams illuminated her form, displaying her in all her beauty before him, almost seeming as though the night wanted him to get one last complete look at the woman who held his heart.

Her silky hair, longer now as she hadn't cut it for months, blew out behind her with the wind against her frame. She was wearing nothing more that her favorite red shirt with the white circle on her back and black athletic pants. He would have chastised her for wearing such little clothing in this weather, but knew from her outfit alone that she must have been trying to fight stress with working out.

She toyed with the diamond circle pendant her gave her, and was still beyond pleased that she wore it daily as if it were her wedding band. It symbolized just as much. Her eyes were closed, taking in the wind as she contemplated things in that mind of hers. He didn't know what her thought process was, but he knew that he was a big part of it.

The wind blew her scent straight towards him, bringing up emotions like a stab wound. He wanted nothing more than to bring her into his arms and let her scent intoxicate him.

If only he could see her green eyes, then he could see into her soul. He could see everything in her eyes, as there was nothing she could hide from him there. She let him into her very being just by those emerald orbs alone and he had taken merciless advantage of that. She received nothing in return from his eyes. He had constantly lied to her trusting face since their first meeting and for that he would never forgive himself.

He took her trust, and gave her none of his in return, hiding his lies behind the shield that he never wanted her to shoulder his burdens among her own. But he knew better. He just couldn't find it in himself to trust her, because she held his soul in the palm of her hands and that scared him more than anything. He was the one who had really been played. He had fallen to her feet with his heart and soul. She was the only woman to have ever made him fearful of himself. She had infused herself into his mind and body, making sure he would never forget her.

She held his heart. She was the only woman to ever do so, and he knew that she was the only one who will.

He was in love with Sakura Haruno.

She brought down all his defenses and had captured him. She was the most powerful woman he had ever known, and the most frightening. With love for his baby girl, she brought him down. She would never know just how much of a place she held in his heart. Words would never be able to convey the mess that was his heart, or the reasons behind his decision. It made what he had to do that much harder.

**…..**

Sakura took in a deep breath and inhaled the air that smelled of the cherry blossoms. The wind stilled for just a moment, enough for her to realize that she wasn't alone anymore. Senses alert, she didn't turn when she sensed the presence behind her. She didn't have too, somehow she knew. Stunned, she didn't turn until he called her name.

"Sakura….," he said. He watched as she turned around and let her breath hitch in shock. And it was then that he was finally able to see her beautiful eyes totally focused on him.

"Sasuke," she breathed "How…what…" she was at a loss for words, especially when she saw what he was wearing.

Still shocked, she took in his attire: black sleeveless shirt emphasizing his lean, bare muscular arms, black military looking pants, a roped belt with what appeared to be a sword tucked beneath it, black boots and black arm bands. He looked so dark…and so dangerous.

The wind picked up once more, bringing back the chill and the rustle of leaves across the terrace, but she didn't feel any of it. She could only think about Sasuke standing ten feet before her and deciding whether or not she was hallucinating.

"Sakura," he said once more as he began to come closer, and she knew she wasn't hallucinating. He was here and focused on her. He was out of the hospital. But she knew no good could come out of this. The feeling from before came back tenfold.

He stopped just a foot away from her. He could see the shock and the question in her eyes. She couldn't believe he was here. She lifted a hand towards his face, hesitating and drawing back before she could make contact, but he grabbed her wrist making her start as he drew her hand to his face an grazed his lips against her palm, all the while keeping his eyes locked on hers.

Shockwaves traveled from her hand to her heart from the sensation of his lips as his other arm came at her waist drawing her closer. Her free hand went up and placed itself over his chest where he was shot down just days before.

"Oh Sasuke," she whispered before he couldn't handle it anymore. He pulled her to him, not caring about the dull pain in his chest as he did so, and crushed his mouth onto hers. She melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself as close to him as possible. All the questions in her mind were halted as she surrendered herself to his kiss. His mouth ravaged hers, making sure she knew that he was real, and that she was his.

They broke apart for barely a second before he pulled her back for another fervent kiss. She could feel the desperation and need to blend with her in his kiss. She needed it just as much. She kissed him until she couldn't breathe anymore.

"It's you," she whispered as he planted kisses along her cheek and neck before claiming her mouth once more. "I can't believe it. How Sasuke?" she asked as she took his face in her hands. "Sasuke why are you here? How did you get out of the hospital? It's only been three days since you've been shot you shouldn't-"

He cut her off by grabbing her hair and crushing his mouth on hers again. He didn't want to explain himself, not just yet. He desperately needed her; needed to absorb her into his mind until he was drunk with her.

She couldn't fight him. Not when she was wrapped up in his arms like this. It wasn't a dream. He was here, and he was with her. He was okay, and that was more than what she could have hoped for.

She broke the kiss, determined to figure things out.

"What's going on? Why are you out of the hospital Sasuke?" she asked running her hands over his chest. "You shouldn't even be able to walk yet, I don't understand," she said while seeking his eyes for answers.

"There's a lot that you don't know about," he said "But there are things I need to do. Things that I can't ignore anymore," he said. Sakura looked even more lost at that.

"What things? What don't I know?" she asked. "Sasuke tell me what's going on? Why were you discharged from the hospital? Why didn't anyone call me?"

"I wasn't discharged. I left," he said.

"…What do you mean you left?" she asked. "You just decided to leave and they let you? I don't believe that, Tsunade should never have allowed it,"

"I didn't ask anyone. I left. I had too," he said. Something about the way he said that didn't sit well with her at all.

"No one even tried to stop you?" she asked. "Naruto? Neji? Anyone?" she asked.

He waited a beat before saying "…No one knows I'm gone," making her eyes widen. She really didn't like the sound of his tone. Fear began to mix with dread.

"…You…snuck out of the hospital? Out of ICU?" she asked disbelievingly. No one could get past ICU without notice. It was impossible. "Why? Why would you do that? _How _did you do that?" she asked. "Sasuke please what's going on?"

Her eyes showed her fear and concern for him. They showed him everything he needed to know. He would destroy her no matter what he did. He was poison in her life and nothing good would come to her from it. But damn if he didn't love her anyway.

"You're so beautiful," he said before pulling her up to kiss her again. Sakura was more confused than ever, and now beginning to panic. This felt too much like a goodbye, and she was not happy about that.

"…Sasuke…what are you wearing? Why are dressed like that?" she asked. "Don't try to distract me," she said sharply when it looked like he would kiss her again. She needed to focus and fought her way out of his arms, otherwise she was putty in his hands. "Tell me what's going on!" she demanded.

The wind picked up again, swirling foliage and the scent of cherry blossoms in the air. Behind her, he could see the big Sakura tree sway behind her in a pink curtain of blossoms. It would kill him, but he had to say goodbye to her. There was no choice anymore.

"Suki loves you," he began. His eyes bore directly into hers as he spoke. "My daughter is my life. She was the only thing that ever mattered to me. She loves you," he said again and watched as her eyes took in every word he said. "She loves your son, like the brother I wasn't able to give her. I never thought that she would be able to have people like you and Sora in her life. That she has you and loves you is more than I could have ever wanted for my daughter,"

"I love her too," she said. "I love her as if she was my own baby. Sora loves her as the little sister I couldn't give him. They complete each other,"

"And that's why I would never leave her with anyone other than you. You're the only woman I trust my daughter's life with," he said. She immediately caught on now and widened her eyes as shock and anger surged through her system.

"And are you planning on going somewhere?" she asked. "You're speaking as though she's never going to see you again," she said, and at his expression at her words, the fear overcame the anger. That's exactly what he planned to do. "Sasuke…" she said while shaking her head.

"There's so much you don't know," he repeated. "And for now, I want to keep it that way. Sakura," he said taking a step closer to her "…I'm not who you think I am,"

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "What do you mean by that?" The fear was invading her system, flooding her mind. He was here, and now he was talking about disappearing.

"The life I've led is not what it seems," he said. "The only good thing about it was my daughter, until you and Sora came along. You changed everything. In you, my daughter found the mother she's always been missing, the brother she's always wanted and the love she so desperately needs that I couldn't give her,"

He could see that she was scared out of her mind, but he couldn't stop. "I can't tell you everything. I can't risk you trying to stop me from what I have to do, because you're the only reason I would even consider it. I'm not the person you think I am Sakura. My life until now has been a lie. If you only knew what I really am," he said, hating the fear in her eyes.

After what felt like an eternity, she spoke.

"…Then…who are you?" she asked. "If you're not who you claim to be, then who are you? What can't you tell me?" she asked. "You can tell me anything Sasuke it doesn't matter what it is. You can tell me, you can trust me," she said. The words hit him full force.

"No…I can't," he said. "Not with this. You've already been put in danger more than you could ever know. I won't have you carrying on more than that because of me. You don't deserve that,"

"You're scaring me," she said. "Who are you? _What_ are you? Sasuke you have to tell me what's going on,"

"I've made mistakes. I was involved in something that you couldn't even being to comprehend. Now the past has come back and I won't have you caught in the crossfires any more than you already are. Sakura, what's happening to you has everything to do with me, whether he wanted it too or not," he said.

"Then you know why this is happening? You know who's behind all of this?" she asked.

"I have a good idea, and I won't rest until I take care of it for good this time," he said with a deadly gleam in his eye. She had never seen that look in his eye before. It went beyond his glares of annoyance. It was murderous. "No one hurts what's mine," he said.

"Sasuke…what have you done?" she asked. "Who are you?"

"…I'm a wanted man," he said.

"_Who_ wants you?" she asked.

"…Your father," he answered. That answer had her taking a step back in shock before registering his meaning.

"My father? You're wanted by the police?" she asked, her body trembling. "What have you done?" she asked again. Again, he realized just how little she knew of the people around her, and how nothing and no one was what it seemed. Her whole life had been a lie as well, only she didn't know it. And he certainly wouldn't be the one to tell her.

"I've done things you couldn't imagine, and I'm about to do them again," he said. "I've finally put things together and I have to set it straight. I can't hide behind this pretense anymore. I'll protect you the only way I know how,"

"What-"

"I have no right to ask anything from you," he said cutting her off. "But I will ask that you look after Suki. She loves you, and she needs you," he said. She went to him, grabbing his shirt and forcing herself to face him dead on.

"Just tell me. Tell me everything," she pleaded "Tell me who you are, what you've done, why you're trying to leave me and our kids behinds for some dire mission to find who's doing this to me. If you know something about it then just tell me! We can go to the police and help them with this you don't have to be involved with it and you don't have to expose anything from your past,"

"It will come out eventually. There's no stopping what I am or what I've done. If only you knew what I was you wouldn't be anywhere near me," he said. She released him as if he had burned her. The look she gave him was one of pure disbelief.

"How can you say that to me?" she asked in a harsh whisper. "Do you really think so little of me? After everything we've been through, you think I would just abandon you because of your past?" she asked. "We'll I'm not so shallow Sasuke. How could I know when you won't tell me anything? You won't trust me with it. Just tell me, I'll believe you no matter what you tell me,"

"I'm not…well. I'm not normal Sakura. It's beyond your imagination" he said. "But I'll stop this before I won't be able to anymore. Before anyone else finds out, I'll stop this bastard from doing anything to you but I have to leave, and I don't know how long I'll be gone or when it will be over,"

"Don't," she said. "Don't leave me. Don't leave us," She couldn't lose him. No matter what, she couldn't bear to lose him. She didn't know what he had done in the past. She didn't know what could have made him so closed off, so ominous and dangerous, but she knew that she couldn't live without him. She wouldn't.

"I have to," he said. "I have no choice,"

"Yes you do," she said. "You always have a choice. You don't have to do any of this alone. I'll be here. I'll help you with whatever you need. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to but you don't have to leave. You're not alone Sasuke, not anymore. You have me. You'll always have me, no matter what,"

"I can't have you!" he said harshly as he grabbed her arms and held her tight. "Where I'm going and what I have to do should not have to have you involved. You could never know what I did, what I went through before any of this. The things I've done, the people who paid for it can never be understood by you. I want you more than anything, but even I'm not that selfish of a bastard that I would drag you down with me,"

"You could never drag me anywhere. I make my own decisions Sasuke, I always have. I'll go with you. I'll do whatever you want. I'll help you put an end to all this," she said.

"You're a doctor. Your path in life is to heal. Where I'm going, there isn't room for that. Sakura, I'm on the complete opposite path. I'm not safe. I'm not normal. I'm not even fully sure what I am myself. I'm not good for you. Damn it, just understand that much from me,"

"I can't! I won't! I won't understand any of it because you won't tell me. You're standing here telling me you're not who I think you are; that you're leaving me, leaving my son and your daughter to go off God knows where and do God knows what. You can't leave me with ominous clues like that. You can't leave me with all these questions. You think you can just tear everything apart and we'll be okay with it? Well you're wrong! You'll destroy us by leaving. I won't let you! I had to tell Suki that you weren't coming home for a while because you got hurt. Don't you dare ask me to look that baby girl in the eyes and try to explain to her that her Daddy isn't coming home at all," she said as the tears welled up in her eyes. "She won't' understand that," she continued. "She'll never understand that because I certainly don't! You'll break her Sasuke. She loves you. You're her whole world. Don't do this to her. If not for me, then for her, don't leave!" she said as the tears spilled.

She was clutching his shirt, threatening to tear it at the seams. The desperation was there in her eyes and Sasuke knew he had to get moving soon before anyone noticed he was here.

"Nothing will change my mind Sakura. This is what I must do," he said. She wouldn't let him go, he knew that. But her eyes found his and she couldn't stop herself.

"I love you," she said.

His heart tightened, every muscle in his body tensed. Her eyes blazed fire as she opened herself up.

"I love you with all my heart Sasuke," she confessed "I don't know when it happened and I don't care how but I know in my heart that I can't live without you. I've never felt surer of anything in my life. No matter what you've done, no matter what you have to do, I love you with everything that I am. I will always love you from here on out so please," she said while holding onto him with everything she had.

"Don't leave me. Don't do this to me. I've already lost my first love. But I won't lose my true love too," she said. "I won't lose you,"

He pulled her close and with all the love he could muster, kissed her with everything he had. He couldn't find the words to say to her, but with his kiss, he told her everything she needed to know. He loved her too. She was his one and only true love. Nothing could compare to her, to them. She was his everything.

Sakura felt his emotions absorb into her. She could feel his struggle, his determination…and his love for her through his kiss. She surrendered herself to him completely. She was his and always would be. Nothing could change that and she had to believe in that; believe in _them_.

He imprinted everything about her into his mind: her soft skin, her scent, her hair, and her beating heart. He would have given anything to have more time with her; make love to her and show her exactly how much she meant to him in a way words would never able to. But he didn't have any more time. He didn't have any other option.

He pulled away and stepped back from her.

Sakura didn't even have to ask again. She saw it in his eyes. He was going to leave her. He was going to leave the kids. He was just going to leave.

He couldn't bring himself to say goodbye. With one last look at her, he turned and began to walk.

"Sasuke, I'll scream! So help me God I'll scream!" she yelled.

And in the blink of an eye, he disappeared before her and with a gasp, she felt him right behind her. A gust of wind carried his heat toward her trembling backside. Her hair flailed before her as his shadow loomed over hers. She couldn't turn around.

"Sakura…" he said as the wind howled and leaves rustled "…Thank you," he said.

Her eyes widened with so much emotion, so much defeat before the sudden pressure on the back of her neck numbed her to everything else. Her eyes closed, and her body went slack. She fell back into his arms.

He lifted her up into his arms and carried her over to the terrace bench. He placed her on her back and positioned her properly. There he stood staring down at her as he battled with emotions. Losing to himself, he knelt down and stole one last desperate kiss from her lips. Everything was riding on him now, and he could not fail her.

Knowing that the CIA agents could show up at any moment, he straightened and with one last look at her, disappeared into the trees and into the night.

**…..**

When she woke an hour later, the wind had settled and the stars were shining; the necklace on her chest symbolizing the gaping hole in her chest. The tears had dried. He was gone.

And she screamed.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**Yeah…I went there. I went everywhere. What've you got to say about that? Review and let me know in excruciating detail! SHANARO! **


	31. Secrets

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 31: Secrets**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

Blood pooled around her hands as she cut through the barriers.

Sakura cut through the tissue as precisely and delicately as Tsunade had taught her. Blood continued to seep out of the cut as Sakura reached into the incision and gently led the baby out of its mother. The baby's healthy screams filled the OR, and the general applause and congratulations were spread to the happy new parents as Sakura continued to close the wound again.

She had been back to work and on a mission for exactly four weeks now. Things were as standard as she desired them to be, and she made sure her schedule was as packed to the brim. She needed the work, and she needed to be focused on other people to the degree in which thinking about her own life was impossible at work.

Yet still his absence lingered heavily upon her the second she was without a patient that needed her.

Sasuke had been gone for exactly four weeks and one day. She kept count, and then she moved on to something else, as was her routine these days.

She was perfectly fine.

Once she was scrubbed out of her gowns, Sakura decided to grab a quick lunch before her next C-section was prepped and ready to go. Walking through the halls, Sakura kept her eyes straight as she wondered what they would be serving for lunch today.

Eating was a challenge as of late, as her appetite disappeared with Sasuke, but she forced herself to eat for the kids. She couldn't exactly pass out on them when she got home, even though she wanted nothing more than to do just that.

"Sakura," Naruto said as he waved to her from the lobby. She gave him an empty smile, sending chills up his spine. He knew she was putting on a farce for everyone, and given the circumstances, he couldn't blame her. But when she smiled like that, it reminded him too much of Sai, and how he would put on that same forced and empty smile when they first met.

"Going to Ichiraku's?" she asked.

"You know it. Want to come?" he asked. Sakura shrugged, not really feeling like walking all the way over there for ramen.

"I'll just stick to the cafeteria. I have another cesarean in about 30 minutes so I'll stay here. You go ahead though and I'll see you at four," she said before leaving in the opposite direction. She heard him mutter an okay, but didn't turn around to see him. As she walked toward the smells of the cafeteria, Sakura kept her head up, eyes straight and breathing even. She was perfectly fine, and she would stay that way. Just keep walking, just keep breathing, and just keep moving.

The mantra hadn't failed her so far.

* * *

**Naruto's POV:**

Naruto had taken the task of driving her home every day after work. No way in hell they were going to risk anything happening to her, especially with Sasuke on the loose.

Thinking about Sasuke poured all kinds of fuel onto Naruto's anger. Thankfully, the agency acted quickly using a look-a-like to make it seem like Sasuke was discharged, as not to raise suspicion among the hospital.

But it was the biggest punch in the gut to learn that not only was his best friend the elusive Sound Assassin they failed to catch, but that he had taken Sakura's heart in the process. Naruto knew she was in love with him; he could feel it. The only thing saving Sasuke from Naruto's complete wrath was the fact that Sasuke had genuinely fallen in love with her too. Naruto knew him well enough for that at least.

The change in Sasuke since Sakura's arrival proved as much. He was content to just live the remainder of his days in a straight line, but meeting Sakura changed him. The big question here was how did he know when to escape?

Something, or more likely, some_one _had tipped him off. Right away, Itachi became their number one suspect, and he had been interrogated. Anko had only just discovered his true identity, and within minutes, Sasuke had vanished. Not only that, but there seemed to be another party after Sakura's life, and now they weren't so sure if Sasuke was the real target all along.

There were so many possibilities crossing over each other that no one knew which was more probable. Sakura loving Sasuke was just another factor thrown into the mix. She wouldn't tell them anything when they found her that night.

As soon as word reached everyone of Sasuke's disappearance and who he was suspected of being, it was a mad dash to the Uchiha house, where Sakura would be. They needed to get him while they still could.

But he eluded them. They found Sakura on the bench staring up at the night's sky, drained of energy after having obviously cried her heart out.

She had completely shut down. All she would say was "He's gone," She had been crying beforehand, but it was like the life was sucked out of her. Getting any information out of her that night was impossible, and the next day, she put on that brave face and acted like she was okay. But she never did tell them what happened that night, and they had a feeling she wasn't going to. What reason could they give her? To her, they were just all her close friends at the hospital. They couldn't make her tell them anything. Her father tired the police angle on her, but she wouldn't have it. There was no official investigation on the surface, and so she didn't have to say a word if she didn't want to.

Whatever happened between them that night, she certainly did not want them to know.

And now she was getting worse, and he knew it. Naruto wished every day that he could find Sasuke and beat the shit out of him for doing that to her. Sakura had been walking around like a well-oiled machine; never stopping to take a break with a manufactured smile on her face like an android.

He picked up his cell and dialed Kiba. He picked up on the first ring.

"_Still nothing Naruto_," Kiba said. "_We've been combing the area for a month now and there's no trace of him anywhere. We're pulling back the hounds today, and not by my say so_," he added.

"Yeah Tsunade mentioned it. This bites!" he screamed as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"_Tell me about it_," Kiba said. "_This whole situation bit us in the ass. Doesn't exactly make us look like the most observant of people does it? Friggin Sasuke_," he said.

"Hey, if any of you find him back off. He's mine to pulverize the minute I see him," Naruto shouted.

"_Yeah well it doesn't look like we'll find him in the wilderness. If Sasuke is who they say he is, we won't find him until he wants us to,_" Kiba replied.

Naruto agreed. Sasuke dodged them for this long and finding him now while he was consciously on the run wasn't going to be easy. "I don't care how well he can hide, I'm going to find that bastard and give him hell! I'll call and see what Granny's up to at the base. I know they're not just going to let this go and I'm sick of waiting," he said hanging up on Kiba and calling in.

Perhaps if he nagged enough, they'd tell him something new.

* * *

**Kakashi's office**:

"What have you found so far?" Kakashi asked Guy via hologram screen.

"_Even with the full force of our youth canvasing the area, there's nothing more than the scent of his blood that suddenly disappears outside the city limits_," Guy informed. "_Kiba and the hounds are just as confused as ever. It's like he vanished into the sunset!_" he exclaimed.

"Which we know he didn't do," Kakashi said. "Sasuke's been under the radar for years, even with active surveillance for former Sound operatives or any crime organizations. You can't do that without skill or resources," he said while pulling up a file.

"_The Uchiha's are well equipped and resourceful enough for his needs. How are things going with Itachi by the way_?" asked Guy.

"About as eventful as your search," Kakashi replied. "He's cooperating. He gives no indication of having any knowledge of Sasuke's activities or past, nor does he seem surprised at that discovery which doesn't give us any definitive sense of where he's at. Exactly what he intended and I expected no less of him to do so,"

"_It's hard to believe that Itachi was in the dark about his own little brother's involvement with Orochimaru_," said Guy. "_He's the leader of the Akatsuki unit and surveillance and Intel are their specialty,_"

"I know. Reading Itachi is nearly impossible, and it's too risky to trust him," said Kakashi. "Sasuke escaped somehow, and whether Itachi had anything to do with it is on the forefront of my mind. But if Itachi was truly unaware of his brothers past, then Sasuke is a lot more dangerous that we think, and that is the last thing I want to admit,"

"_So you'd rather Itachi be guilty of knowing and aiding Sasuke's escape than have his hands clean of all this_?" Guy asked incredulously. "_That kind of negative thinking will burn away whatever youth remains in your body! I can't allow that blasphemy to spread. Itachi is a sworn agent of the CIA. His youthful spirit, though reclusive at best, burns stronger than most!_"

"He's also brother to one of most dangerous _assassins_ of the most dangerous _Organization _we've ever encountered," Kakashi shot back. "Think about it Guy, Sasuke had to be twelve when all of this began. Itachi was already an advanced agent and still living under the same roof. He may be CIA, but knowing him, he would still find a way to do his job and protect his little brother; even sacrifice himself if need be,"

"_Then what do you intend on doing_?" asked Guy.

"Keep him under close watch. Itachi wants to find his brother as much as the rest of us, of that I'm sure. Some bonds can never be broken, no matter how deep the cut runs," he said as the door to his office opened. Guy was able to make out Agent Anko Mitarashi, before his face changed its expression and pointed at her through the screen.

"_Kakashi…_," Guy said before puffing out his chest in indignation "_Damn you and your moving speeches! I take back what said about your power of youth, as the proof it just walked in. You've got the looks, the skills, the attitude, and a woman ready to bring forth the extension of your virility! GAH that really burns me up for some reason! Why do you __always__ have to act so cool_?" he shouted before Anko sent a senbon needle she had been using to eat dango with right at the screen. It simply phased through the light projections and planted itself into the wall.

"You do realize that's a hologram right?" Kakashi asked her as he turned off the monitor along with the image of Guy saluting the sunset.

"All I realized are that Senbon make excellent Dango sticks," she replied, walking over to him and handing him a file. "Tsunade did more research on the curse marks ability to pass genetically. The info's in there, I've already read it. She needs to do more tests on me. As if I haven't already given her enough blood," she said turning around to walk way as best she could. At seven months pregnant, she refused to waddle, no matter what the cost.

"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked, putting the file down.

"Back to the training center," she answered. "It's almost time for the Chunin Level exams again and I need to make sure the training field is getting ready. Recruits still need training, even during a crisis,"

"Anko, you're not supposed to be handling that anymore," he said. "You're not supposed to be doing much of anything as far as the training center goes; not now anyway,"

"Look," Anko said exasperatedly "You don't need to worry about me. You have a lot more to think about right now and I can handle myself," she said. He got up and walked over to her.

"I don't care how well you can take care of yourself," Kakashi said. "I don't have to worry about you? Do you think I have you somewhere ranked on this list of priorities? Or do you think yourself second or third of fourth after the mess we have here? Dammit Anko," he said taking hold of her shoulders. "How long is it going to take for you to realize that you mean more to me than that?" he asked.

"We're getting into this now?" she asked. "Aren't you supposed to be letting me do whatever the hell I want because I'm carrying this little Dango in the oven, or pot of boiling water to be correct?" she asked.

"Yeah, however I'm the father," he replied. "That means the well-being of the mother of my child is my duty and as far as you're concerned, _I_ get to do whatever the hell _I_ want to keep you safe and healthy," he said.

"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't give me the excuse to be useless," Anko said. "I'm the one who discovered Sasuke because no one knows Orochimaru or the curse better than I do. Now that everything's gone to hell do you think it's in me to just kick back and rub my damned swollen ankles?"

"No," Kakashi said. "But it means that you're going to let me take care of you, whether you like it or not. It means that you're going to tell me when something's bothering you, or if you need something, or if you have any leads to bring them to me so we can check it out together. You let this suspicion of Sasuke linger for months and never once did you mention it to me. And the whole time you were carrying my child and didn't think it was important enough to tell me until now?"

"I was back in Kyoto managing the base and all the other cases there! You were needed here, and you still are!" she pointed out. "I couldn't let you be distracted with me. I know the responsibilities and impossible decisions you have to make daily. I'll be the first to admit that this pregnancy was the most random thing that could have ever happened amidst this chaos. It didn't make sense to put this on you. What were you going to do? Travel back and forth every time I wanted a dango?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation, making her pause. "I would have been there for everything and anything you would have needed because that's what a man does for the woman he loves," he said seeing the way her face froze. "I didn't see this pregnancy coming any more than you did, but did you honestly think I wouldn't have been happy about it?"

She looked surprised, and for good reason. In all their years together they had never put a label on their feelings or established any sense of permanent togetherness; more on her preference than his. It was a distance she was comfortable with, but all that went to hell the minute the stick was a big plus sign. Now she had to own up to her own feelings. "I don't know how this baby's life will be affected because of my curse mark," she said in near whisper. "On top of everything else, there's that to worry about,"

"And we'll get through that, but together this time. I won't let you shut me out ever again," he said. Anko relented after that. He wasn't making her say it back, the jerk. He didn't have to. He could read her like a book and he knew that she loved him. He also knew she feared loving him, as she did most things.

But he was just as stubborn as her, and if he insisted on bringing her dango whenever the hell she wanted, well then who was she to refuse him that privilege? The kicking in her abdomen told her their little ninja was okay with more dango as well.

Kakashi placed his hand over her bump and cracked a smile at the movement. If it was one thing he needed in this insanity, it was something to hope for, and Anko gave it to him. He leaned in for a kiss that promised to be good, when the sound of sniffling caught them off guard.

_"… (sniff)…Damn you…Kakashi,_" came Guy's voice from the intercom of the hologram that Kakashi had somehow failed to turn off. _"….Why do you always have to be… (Sniff)…so damn cooooooool!_" he shouted before Anko tossed another senbon into the machine.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Lunch was uneventful. Sakura forced herself to eat what she bought, which ended up being ramen anyway. She ate half the serving before putting the rest in a to-go container. She wasn't about to waste it when Naruto would be happy to eat it.

She was informed that several of her patients rescheduled their appointments with her due to the weather. It was pouring outside, and Sakura couldn't fault her pregnant patients for not making the commute. Unfortunately, that left her with a few hours to kill, and nothing to kill them with.

She decided to go to the cart outside and buy some hot tea. She hadn't gone in a while, and though she had just eaten, or attempted to eat, she needed something to do. She saw that the cart was moved under the cover of the hospital instead of the center of the quad due to the rain.

Tea was forgotten as she looked out at the space where Sasuke's life was almost taken from her. She had had nightmares about the shooting. She saw him get shot over and over and over again in her dreams, and she was always unable to do anything for him. Then he would just disappear. But his eyes haunted her. They were red and spinning, and she didn't know what that meant, but she would wake up shaking and whimpering.

"Dr. Haruno," the cart woman said. "Haven't seen you in a while,"

"I'm sorry, I've been busy and all. Can I have a green tea? And a muffin?" she asked. She felt bad for not visiting more often and figured she could snack on the muffin later. She knew she needed the energy. Packing her schedule to the max plus taking care of the kids when she got home was exhausting, but it was better than the alternative.

"I've been hoping you'd stop by," the woman said as she handed her the tea. "How've you been since the shooting? I know you were right there when it happened, I saw it all go down," she said. Sakura took the tea and sipped on the hot liquid before answering.

"I'm fine," she answered. The woman looked like she didn't believe her.

"Well, I know you didn't get hurt, but Mr. Uchiha…," she said, letting the question linger between them as she handed her the muffin. Sakura debated for a second if she should answer her, as she didn't see any reason to explain anything to her, but perhaps the woman might be able to tell her something she missed.

"I know the police have already questioned you," Sakura said recalling her father explaining the procedure as they went along. "But is there anything that you noticed that day that seemed strange, or out of place?" she asked.

"Not that I could say," the woman answered. "There were a lot of people out there that day. And to be honest, I didn't really pay any attention to anyone once you and Mr. Uchiha came into view and…well…you know…," she said with a blush. "It was almost like something out of the movies. Young couple in love and then disaster strikes. How is Mr. Uchiha doing?" she asked.

"He's fine," she said quickly. "Can you think back further?" she pressed. "Has there been anyone that you've seen around, lingering or loitering around the area. Maybe a man that didn't seem to really be here for any reason?"

"The only person that got under my radar was this high strung red-headed woman with a seriously offensive haircut. Walking around like she owned the place or something." she mumbled, making Sakura sigh. This was useless.

"Well, if you remember anything else, you tell me okay?" she asked before walking away. Getting any more info out of anyone was going to be tough. People saw and forgot what they wanted simply to make sense of things. She wasn't any different, but she needed answers and she needed them now.

She replayed their last conversation over and over again in her head, and none of it made any sense.

_"It will come out eventually. There's no stopping what I am and what I've done. If only you knew what I was you wouldn't be anywhere near me," he said_

_I'm not…well. I'm not normal Sakura. It's beyond your imagination" he said. "But I'll stop this before I won't be able to anymore. Before anyone else finds out, I'll stop this bastard from doing anything to you but I have to leave, and I don't know how long I'll be gone or when it will be over," he said._

What could he have possible meant by that? One thing she did know though was that Sasuke cared about her. She felt it in the last kiss they shared before he left. But he did not trust her, and that's what was biting her soul. And what's worse, he supposedly knew who was behind all of this.

Didn't he think telling her might actually be a benefit? If she knew who to look out for, then she could better protect the kids and help the police in their investigation. But he didn't want her help, and he certainly didn't want to go the police, for a good reason.

_"…I'm a wanted man," he said._

_"Who wants you?" she asked._

_"…Your father," _

Her Father; not only the police, but he specified her father. Sasuke made it clear to her that his past was dark and not fully behind him. Whatever he was involved with then is affecting him now and she was in the middle of it. Her father being a police chief couldn't have made things any better for him.

Her father had asked her many times what had happened that night, and each time she refused to say anything. What could she say? She herself didn't know what was going on, or what he was involved with. All she knew was that he thought he had it all figured out, and was out on some mission to put an end to all of it. But then what? He had to have known that his sudden disappearance wouldn't go unnoticed. He had to know that everyone would be looking for him, and should he choose to come back, he would have to explain himself and confess his past, whatever the hell it was. How would he get out of that one?

He couldn't. He asked her to wait for him, and even though he didn't trust her, she still loved him enough to do just that. She needed him to be okay. She needed him to come back to her. Though it was killing her, she knew that she would see him again, or she would die trying.

She had fallen in love with Sasuke Uchiha. Now she had to find out just what that entailed.

She made it back to her floor and opened the door to her office and held her breath. The place still had the faint scent of roses lingering in the air. She was forbidden from opening the window for safety. They even went so far as to place a bookshelf in front of it in case the crazed shooter might want to take care of her as well. Moving her office seemed pointless because all of them had windows, so they took whatever measures they could to protect her.

Life was a big game of hide-and-seek for now. She didn't know where to hide and she didn't know who was seeking her which made her sick, and doctors hate sickness. She sat down at her desk and decided to call the school to check on the kids.

This was another habit that formed over the course of Sasuke's disappearance. Every day Sakura would call the school and speak to Lee about Sora and Suki. Kurenai was on personal leave, so Lee took over as their teacher.

"_Hello Miss Sakura_," said Lee. "_How are you today_?"

"I'm fine. What about the kids Lee?" she asked.

"_They are the perfect examples of the blossoming of youth! Both are perfectly fine and working hard on their projects for today,_" he informed enthusiastically.

"Great," she said before she saw her door open. Gaara walked in, surprising her. "I'll be there to pick them up as usual around 4:30. Bye," she said before hanging up. "What are you doing here Gaara?" she asked.

"Checking on you," he said. Sakura sighed and got up to give him a hug, which he returned. Sakura was the only known person to give and receive hugs from Gaara, save for Sora who simply got his head patted.

"I don't know what you hoped to find," she said as they parted. ""You could have called. You didn't have to travel all this way for me,"

Gaara studied her thoroughly, which made Sakura uncomfortable. His eyes, a more subdued shade of blue green made her feel like he was reading her thoughts. Everything about Gaara was a mystery, especially that vibrant red Kanji Tattoo on his forehead. Sakura never asked him about why he had Love stamped on his forehead, and she never planned to. He never did anything without a purpose, and his visit to her was no different.

"I want you to tell me what happened the night Uchiha left," he said straightforwardly. Sakura took in a deep breath and walked back to her desk.

"Sure you do," she said. "Everyone does. They all want to know, but that doesn't mean they need to know," she said stubbornly. Gaara wasn't deterred and when he continued to stare at her, she decided to tell him what she told everyone else.

"He left. He didn't tell me where he was going or why," she said. "I don't even know how the hell he got out of the hospital,"

"But he did tell you he was leaving, and I'm sure that he gave you something you could use for a reason. Sakura, your feelings for him make you want to protect him, but his behavior is not of someone you want to protect," he said.

"I'm not trying to protect him," she said, although that wasn't entirely true. "I'm still trying to figure him out. None of this makes sense, and I don't want to talk about him anymore," she said, grabbing he muffin and biting into it, even though she thought to save it for later. If she was eating, she couldn't talk.

"You might think you're not protecting him, but trying to save him is no different," said Gaara. "If you tell me what happened, I can help you get a better understanding of him," he said. Sakura washed the muffin down with her tea.

"Why Gaara?" she asked. "How can you possibly help me anymore than the police? Any more than his family?"

"I know Sasuke on the business end of things," he said. "Running competing Hospitals allowed me to know him on some level. He's smart, determined, calculating and aggressive with his policies. Those things can be transferred into his personality; a side that he may not have shown you and had no reason to up till now," he said. "What did he say to you that night?"

Sakura almost chuckled. If only he knew some of the bizarre things he had said, what would he do then? Still, there was a part of Sakura that wouldn't allow herself to disclose that information.

"Did he threaten you?" he asked, making her start.

"Of course not!" she almost scream.

"Was he aggressive? Did he hurt you?" he asked, once again trying to detect the slightest amount of hesitance. When he saw it, his eyes narrowed.

"I…no he didn't!" she said, even though he did render her unconscious and leave her outside. He knew she wouldn't let him go, and he did what he needed to get away.

"You were found unconscious outside in the cold. I know you didn't fall asleep so tell me what he did to you," he said.

"He didn't do anything!" she said. "He wouldn't tell me anything! He wouldn't trust me with anything! He wouldn't allow me to find out what he was planning to do! He was still hurt…," she said, tears welling up in her eyes when she thought of the pain he must still be enduring without meds. "He was hurt and he still left. I know something is going on, but he just wouldn't tell me. How can I tell you anything when I myself have no idea," she said wiping her eyes and forcing herself to get a grip.

"Sakura," Gaara said. "You can help him by telling us what happened. You're not the only one who wants him back. His family and his friends are looking for him too. You're the last person to have seen him before he disappeared. Anything he told you may lead us to him,"

"Well he didn't tell me anything. He kissed the hell out of me like it was the last time he would see me and then he left! And I'm done!" she said getting up and walking out of her own office. She didn't know why but she had to get away from Gaara. Everything he said made sense, and she should have been helping them. But there was a part of her that was scared of what they might find out. Sasuke didn't exactly paint a pretty picture of himself with all his ominous clues, but she still had to believe that behind whatever darkness that followed him, he was good.

The passionate man and loving father she saw in him could not be an act. That was real, and he was out there now, trying to keep her and their kids safe. She had to believe in him, and she had to believe that he was trying to fix this. But sooner or later, she would need to know the truth, and if that meant talking, then she would talk.

Gaara watched her run into the elevators. He knew she wouldn't leave the building so he let her go.

Even though she didn't mean to, she still slipped and told him something new about that last night with Sasuke. She said Sasuke had kissed her like it was the last time he would ever see her. To Sakura, that might have been worthless and private information, but to Gaara, it spoke volumes.

He left for the base, determined to get into Uchiha's head and find him. He recalled the meeting with Kakashi not long ago. It took him a while, but his research into Sasuke lead to no clues, and it was even longer before he realized that that in itself was a clue.

"_I told you I would be keeping my eyes on the Uchiha." Gaara said. "You may find there are some questionable things in his past," _

"_What exactly do you mean Gaara?" asked Kakashi. "There isn't anything to implicate him in the least bit," he said. Gaara just simply gave him a look as if asking what more he needed to hear to piece it together. _

"_Exactly," he said. "No one has a record that's that clean Kakashi. It's inconsistent. It's almost as if Sasuke penciled himself in where it was convenient. You'll find there's a seven years stretch in which his activities are nonexistent. What was he doing for those seven years?" he asked. _

"_Exactly which seven years are we talking about?" he asked. _

"_Years 12 to 19," he said. "Socially, Fugaku and Mikoto never saw much of Sasuke as they we detained with business. Itachi was already recruited on missions for the defense department. Sasuke was virtually alone," he said. "The Uchiha clan's involvement with the CIA has dwindled since the death of Obito some 30 years ago," he said knowingly to Kakashi. "Since then it's been one member of the clan that's even aware. Sasuke was not taken into consideration because of Itachi,"_

_Kakashi skimmed through the rest of the file, admitting that Sasuke had hidden himself so discreetly that even they overlooked him. _

"_We need to find him. Do what you must," said Kakashi. _

_Gaara took his leave, determined to do just that._

* * *

**CIA Surveillance Center:**

Ino and Shikamaru happened to be on duty that day, listening to the recordings of Sakura as the day progressed. It was almost time for her to go home with Naruto.

"Remember Naruto, don't bring up Sasuke unless she does," Ino said into the mic that connected her to Naruto's ear piece. "If you men have learned anything over these past four weeks it's that she won't talk if you keep asking her about it,"

"Yeah I got it already jeez," said Naruto from the hospital lobby. "She's got to crack eventually right?"

"In case you haven't noticed, she's already cracked," Ino said. "She just isn't showing you how cracked she is. Sakura's always hated weakness in her, even when we were kids. That's why she's trying to put on a brave front" she said recalling the times when she would cry after someone made fun of her for her forehead or whatever. After a while, Sakura learned to just act like nothing was wrong and that their taunts didn't faze her, even though they did. It was her survival instinct, and this was no different.

"Alright, so I'm walking on egg shells here. Is there any way to get her talking without bringing him up?" he asked.

"You're mission is not to get her talking, it's to listen in case she does," Ino said. "You're not the best interrogator Naruto and frankly, none of us trust you to be delicate about this. You're just as mad at him as she is,"

"You're damn right I'm mad," he said in a harsh whisper. "You've seen what he did to her. How can I just sit next to her and not even try to get something out of what happened that night? You weren't the one that found her that night so you didn't see how dead she was. Sasuke was a bastard but he was still my best friend dammit. I can't let him get away with doing that to her" he said trying to control himself, keeping a look out in case Sakura showed up and found him talking to himself.

"Naruto," said Shikamaru, deciding it was time to chime in. "If you can't adhere to rules of the mission, you will be pulled out. Keep in mind that this is as much of a test for you as it is for her. Like Ino said, you're not trusted to keep your cool about Sasuke, and if that's the case, the agency won't hesitate to suspend you from the investigation,"

They heard Naruto curse, and they could tell he was losing his composure. Naruto's charisma had the ability to reach anyone, even the solitary Sasuke when they were growing up. It took a while, but even through whatever angst Sasuke was going through, Naruto managed to reach him and draw him into their circle of friends. Their bond was one of brothers, and Naruto most likely took it upon himself to carry the blame for not noticing Sasuke's struggles while the rest of them were off training for the CIA.

"Naruto, I know you feel responsible for Sasuke," said Ino. "But if you want to help him, you're going to have to help yourself first. You can't blame yourself for what happened here, just like we all know Sakura can't blame herself for it. Just be there for her, and let her come to you on her own,"

"Fine," said Naruto. If it was for Sakura, he would try his hardest to be the listener.

He saw her approaching him, ready to go pick up the kids and head home. When she reached him, Naruto smiled at her and to the car they went.

**…..**

As Naruto drove to pick up the kids, Sakura watched the cars go by, lost in her thoughts as she absentmindedly played with her necklace. She still wore it, even though it pained her to do so. It was the last thing she had of Sasuke, and having it on her made her feel as if he was nearby.

She had been having nightmares for weeks now. Every night she saw Sasuke in the quad, smirking at her, kissing her, and then getting shot over and over again. She couldn't do anything to stop it. When she would try, she would see that his eyes had taken on that strange red appearance. His three pupils would start spinning and make her nauseous, only to find him changing before her.

Black markings began to overtake his body, and Sasuke would laugh maniacally as the marks completely consumed him. She ran to him, but never got any closer to him. She wanted to go to him and hold him, prevent him from drowning in the black, but she would never make it.

She would always wake in a cold sweat, her arms outreached as if to grab him. Sleep eluded her often after that.

"Hey isn't Sora's birthday coming up?" Naruto asked, trying to distract her from whatever she was thinking. She was clutching that necklace like it was her lifeline.

"Not for a while," she answered.

"Really? I thought he was born in May?" he asked.

"…No. He was born July 23rd," she said.

"No kidding!" Naruto said. "I think that's Neji's birthday too. That smug bastard got me an educational video on basic mathematics for my birthday. I'll do him one better and get him a tutorial on how to remove the stick you don't realize is lodged in your-"

"Neji was born July 3rd," Sakura said. From back at the base, Ino saw the danger signs waving. Naruto was headed for a disaster.

"What? No I'm positive it's the 23rd," he said. "I know because it's marked in my calendar at home: surprise birthday for the Bas-" he stopped talking abruptly when he realized which bastard that entailed. He could feel the eyes rolling for whoever was listening in on the monitors back at the base. Sakura's conversations were recorded in case she said anything about that night after all.

"It's Sasuke's birthday," she said, devoid of emotion. "He shares a birthday with my son,"

"_Naruto…you Idiot" _came Ino's voice through his ear piece.

"_That's just fucked up," _thought Naruto as he drove on in silence to the school. How many times was life going to bombard her with all these coincidences? Not only did her son look Sasuke, he was born on the same day of the same month too? This went beyond resemblance; the kid could have been his clone.

Naruto looked over at Sakura and felt the weight of the situation heavy in the air. He knew that every spare moment she had, her thoughts were full of Sasuke, even if she tried not to. She must have been losing sleep too; he could see the toll it was taking on her. Every time someone tried talking to her about that night, she would just close off. Gaara was the last one to try and Sakura literally ran away from him.

Naruto figured since he brought up Sasuke anyway, he might as well give it another go. To hell with what the agency wanted. It wasn't as if she could go anywhere. What was she going to do? Jump out of a moving vehicle?

"We'll find him," he said, ignoring Ino's protests buzzing in his ear. He turned the mic off.

"No we won't," she said. Naruto glanced at her as he continued to drive.

"Why do you say that?" he asked. "I know it's been a few weeks but we'll-"

"He was shot in the chest," she said. "He lost more blood than anyone realized, and he should have died. But he didn't," she said. "Tsunade saved him; she worked her magic and saved him, but that was still a lot of blood. How was he able to compensate for that loss so soon? How was it that a patient fresh out of surgery manages to sneak his way out of the ICU, the most heavily monitored care unit in the damn building, with a fresh wound on his chest neighboring his heart?" she asked.

"If only we knew," said Naruto, even though they did know. Sasuke was always three steps ahead of them. Why should his escape routes be any different? Navigating his way through the vents in a hospital that size of all things; the crafty bastard.

"I keep thinking someone had to have helped him, but I can't think of anyone that would do that," she said.

"It's not your job to figure that out Sakura," he said. "Your dad has most of the police force out there looking for him. Finding Sasuke isn't on you,"

"Then why does everyone assume he told me some deep dark secret before he left? Why does everyone assume the connection to finding him is in something he said to me?" she asked. "You're all wondering what we talked about, that much is obvious,"

"You were the last person to have seen him before he left, and we know that wasn't by accident. He wanted to see you, and for a reason," he said, making Sakura tense.

"He came, and he went, and there was nothing I could do to stop him," she said.

"But you tried," he said. "_How_ did you try to stop him?" he asked. Sakura stared out ahead of her, intent to not give him an answer. "Sakura, anything you have to say about that night could be helpful. What you see as insignificant might tell us something else entirely,"

Sakura slowly looked at him in a way that made Naruto uneasy.

"Gaara cornered me earlier today saying something similar to that," she said. "You all seem to think that Sasuke gave me some encrypted message as to who he is and what he was up to, and I don't have any answers to that,"

"If there was nothing to say, why won't you tell us anything that passed between you two? I can't imagine he made the trek back to you only to have a staring contest," he said. "I know how you feel about him. Sasuke's not an easy guy to get along with, believe me when I say that. But don't forget that you're not the only one that wants him back. He's my friend. He's Suki's father. He became one for Sora didn't he?"

Sakura's composure nearly cracked after that. Naruto could tell she was doing everything she could to keep it together, but she couldn't stop the shaking in her hands.

"Sora and Suki both look at me every single day and without words, they ask me where he is," she said. "They know something is going on, but how can I tell them that he just left?" she asked, letting a tear fall through. She wiped it way quickly, determined not to start crying again.

"…What did you tell them anyway?" he asked.

"I told them that Sasuke had to go somewhere for a while to get better, and that they can see him when he is," she said. "They were so sweet. They didn't know to ask where or why he left. They trusted me completely that he would be back. But the more days that go by, the more anxious they become. And I get more frightened that something might have happened to him," she said damming the tears that continued to fall.

Naruto could imagine the rant Ino was throwing back at the base. He wasn't supposed to make her cry. He pulled over and stopped the car before pulling her into a hug. She didn't have the strength to resist him.

"I'm fine," she said.

"The hell you are," he said. "Why are you doing this to yourself? Why won't you just tell us what happened?"

"Because I'm scared," she said, a new wave of tears falling. "Because I'm tired and emotional and falling apart every second I have time to think about him. I can't be this broken up, not when I have both of the kids to think about or patients that need me to be put together. People's lives are in my hands and when I think about that night, I fall apart. That's why I can't talk about it. That's why I can't talk about_ him_, because I can't afford to fall apart right now!"

"When you're ready, you know you can come to any one of us, even your dad, and we'll be ready to listen to what you have to say," Naruto said as he held her tight. He gave her a few minutes to get it back together. It was better she get the emotions out than bottle them in.

"I know…thanks," she said. Naruto let her go after that. Ino was right, and now that he understood why she wasn't talking, he knew that eventually, she would talk. He just hoped that by then, it wouldn't be too late.

**Later that night…**

Sakura couldn't keep her mind off of Sasuke all throughout dinner. It was especially hard with the kid's right in front of her, looking more like him every single day. Harnessing her strength, she got through dinner by letting them eat in the living room and watch their favorite ninja anime.

Sakura allowed herself to watch the anime as well; anything to not think about Sasuke. Ironically, one of the characters reminded her of him, and that plan went to hell. Still, it was a good anime. Sora and Suki seemed to really like it.

Sakura was so engrossed in the anime that she was surprised when she found her plate empty. She hadn't had much of an appetite and only ate because she knew she needed the energy. The kids were still eating their dinner, so she decided to make something for dessert.

She headed back to the kitchen and rummaged the fridge to see what she could make.

"Aw not the news!" came Sora's voice from the living room. Sakura went back to see that there was an emergency broadcasting that cut through regular programming.

"_This just in, the national weather broadcast is placing a storm watch over the greater Tokyo area. Doppler radar predicts a massive storm heading this way within the next few days. Special advisory warnings are placed to remain indoors, as the number of missing people continue to rise, with no leads as to their whereabouts. _

_In other news, the investigation regarding the shooting of Business Mogul Sasuke Uchiha, is still in progress with no lea-" _the TV turned off abruptly.

Sora turned around to find his mother with the remote in her hands and a weird look in her eye.

"They were talking about Daddy," said Suki as she turned to look at Sakura.

"Why was Sasuke in the news Mommy?" asked Sora. Sakura looked at both of them, without a clue as to what to tell them. Both of them continued to stare at her, waiting for an answer.

"Because he got hurt a while ago remember? And he's a very important person in this city, so that's why he's on the news," she said, knowing that to be as close to the truth as possible.

"Is he getting any better?" Sora asked expectantly.

"Yeah…he is," she said. "So what do you guys want for dessert?" she asked tossing the remote on the couch and walking back towards the kitchen. Sora and Suki followed her and sat down at the table.

"Mommy, when is Sasuke coming back?" Sora asked. Sakura paused for a moment before rummaging through the cabinets for pudding mix.

"I'm not sure sweetie," she said. "But he'll be back as soon as he's all better,"

"Can we go see Daddy?" Suki asked. Sakura stopped and turned toward her. "Because I need to give Daddy a kiss so he can get all better," she said. She missed him, they both did.

Suki finally asked. Sakura was hoping beyond all reason that she wouldn't, but she did. Could she see him? It wasn't so much that she asked that particular question that finally made Sakura burst. It was the fact that Sora was sitting right next to Suki, looking for the entire world as if that question and _person_ in question applied to him too. Where was _his_ Daddy?

Where was Sasuke?

And it was in that moment when the weight of her world hit her; two kid, two absent fathers, no answers. It was too much. She stopped rummaging through the cabinets and instead sat down at the table. She took Suki into her arms and kissed her cheek.

"I need to tell you both something," she said taking hold of Sora's hand.

Sasuke had enough time. It was time for her to start talking, for all the good it would do them. First, she would tell the kids a version of the story that wasn't going to be easy. Then it was onto the bigger fish.

She just hoped she had enough strength to withstand two disappointed faces first.

* * *

**Next Day…Konoha Leaf Academy**:

Sora and Suki sat with the others in a circle by the big tree in the school yard for their lunch period. After being teased a bit for having matching lunch boxes, Sora silenced everyone with a glare. Suki though Sora looked just like her Daddy when he did that, and immediately, the feeling of sadness took over.

Last night, Aunty Sakura told them that Daddy went somewhere far to help catch a bad guy. She said that he wasn't going to come back for a while until he caught him. Suki asked why he needed to catch him.

"_Because he's a hero, like the ninja's in your anime," she said. "He's very strong and very brave, and there are bad guys out there that need to be caught. We need to be strong for him, and trust that he will come back to us. Can you do that for him?" she asked them. _

Suki and Sora both nodded their heads, and she sent them to bed after that. Aunty Sakura was sad too. She also missed Daddy, she told them so. Today she packed them both a bento box with extra roasted tomatoes and little hot dogs cut like octopuses. She even put Suki's favorite chocolate cookies in there.

"My Dad say's I can get a puppy soon," said Jun "He says it's time for Akamaru to have some,"

"But Akamaru is a boy doggie," said Akira. "Boy doggies can't have babies,"

"My Dad says he's a stud," said Jun.

"What does that mean?" asked Suki, intrigued. Jun looked at her, then at the sky, and then shrugged.

"I don't know," he said sheepishly. "But whatever that is, it means he can have puppies,"

"But how?" asked Akira. "Only girl doggies can have the babies," she said. Jun simply shrugged once more.

"But the puppies need a Dad too," he said.

"So how do they make puppies?" asked Suki. Once again, Jun shrugged, and everyone else sighed.

"I asked my Dad once," said Jun. "He just laughed and said he'd tell me when I'm older. It must be top secret," he said seriously.

"Maybe my Daddy will know," said Akira. "He's super smart and Mommy calls him a "know-it-all" so he must know," she said confidently.

Akio sipped his milk loudly, interrupting Akira's speech. Akio and Akira's lunches were typically made by their Uncle Chouji, as their mother couldn't really cook. Their Uncle Chouji took it upon him to feed his god-children.

"Maybe Aunty Sakura knows," said Suki. "She's a doctor for people babies so maybe she knows how doggie babies are made,"

From his seat in the car near the school, Asuma smiled at the children's conversation. He could just imagine Akira asking Shikamaru about dog reproduction and had to stifle a laugh; kids and their innocence.

Speaking of babies, word was that Kakashi and Anko were expecting, and sooner than Kurenai. Asuma had to grin. Though the timing was bad, it was about time Kakashi got things rolling with her. Whether or not he married her was still in the air, but with Kakashi, you never knew.

He was informed earlier today that Sakura had voluntarily told the police about her last encounter with Sasuke. Now that they knew what happened, things seemed to be better with her as well. She basically confirmed all their suspicions about Sasuke. The vague clues he gave her fit into the facts that they had.

Asuma was to listen to the interview once his shift was over, to get his input. For now, the kids were his main goal.

* * *

**Sakura's House:**

Ino drove to Sakura's house once she was informed that the interview was over. Sakura had taken the day off from work to talk to the police. Uchiha Fugaku paused his retirement to run the hospital in Sasuke's absence. The Uchiha's were also interrogated about Sasuke, but they were stumped like the rest of them. Seeing as they were one of the few Uchiha family members to be completely unaware of the CIA, their suspicion was let go.

Ino knew that interview couldn't have been easy for Sakura, so she decided to see how she was doing. She dialed her cell.

"_Hey Ino Pig," _came Sakura's voice.

"Hey forehead!" Ino said cheerily. "I hear you played hooky today. Let's grab lunch and talk about Tenten's post- baby hairstyle" she said. She heard Sakura chuckle.

"_I can't. I'm back at my house cleaning up. I still need to maintain this house you know_," she said.

"Then I'll pick something up and bring it over. I'll…help you clean," she said, gritting her teeth. Ino didn't like cleaning either.

"_That's alright Ino, I wouldn't want you to break a nail or anything_," Sakura said.

"Alright Forehead here's how it's going to go down," Ino said with an edge in her voice. "I'm going to go see Chouji at the Hidden Leaf, force him to make us lunch, then I'm bringing it over and you will eat it with me and you will like it. Do I make myself clear?" she said.

"_Don't tell me what to do Ino Pig!_" Sakura said just as fiercely.

"Well I'm telling you! Suck it up because I'm coming over and you're going to eat if I have to shove it down your throat. See ya!" she said cheerfully before Sakura could say anymore.

She made it to Sakura's five minutes after that. Sakura opened the door and eyed her suspiciously with the bags of food.

"Alright, so I may have had everything ready to go ahead of time. Sue me," Ino said as she forced her way into the house. "Would it kill you have lunch with me and take a break from all this cleaning,"

"No. But it might kill me to repeat my interview with you. I know that's why you're here Ino," Sakura said. Ino turned looking at her.

"Well I admit it. I'm your best friend. I've hardly seen you these past few weeks, even before all drama. You can tell me what happened," she said.

"I'd rather not," she said eyeing the food suspiciously. "Did you bring everything in the restaurant?" she asked.

"Chouji's trying some new things out and he's using us as guinea pigs. Eat up," Ino said.

"I think you could have handled this on your own," Sakura said with a snicker. Ino let the remark go, choosing instead to suggest a few haircuts Sakura should try to manage her forehead. The rest of lunch was eating most of what Chouji made, all of which Sakura approved. She even tried a new tomato dish and fell in love with it. She decided to save the rest for Sora and Suki once they came home from school.

That was the plan until she realized that between Ino and her, the tomato dish was gone.

"Maybe I'll get some more for dinner tonight," Sakura aid as she tossed the empty container. "The kids would love it,"

"Not unless you eat like you did just now. And you call me a pig," Ino said. "But I'll admit, Chouji outdid himself this time,"

Sakura got up and proceeded to clean up the mess, saving what she could for the kids. Ino helped and after a while, Sakura made some tea to wash it all down.

"So are you going to tell me about it?" Ino asked as Sakura put the tea pot on the burner.

"Long story short, I have no idea where he went, or why. But I gave as much of our conversation, however vague it was, to the police. I'll let them make what they will of it,"

"That's the police. This is me Sakura, and I know that what's between you and Sasuke is a whole lot more than you care to admit. He left Suki with you, and that's saying something," she said.

"It's saying that he trusted me enough with his daughter, but not enough to tell me where he was going," Sakura said bitterly as the water boiled. "It's been five weeks now. How much longer can I hope for him to come back?" she asked.

"Sasuke will come back to you," Ino said, making Sakura chuckle darkly.

"And what makes you so sure Ino? Did he tell you when? Because he certainly didn't tell me and look where that's gotten me," she said. "You know, my whole life, I've felt this disconnect with the world because my father kept me on such a short leash. It's like the choices I made weren't really my own. I didn't want to be hopelessly in love at sixteen but I was, I didn't want to be married before I finished med school but I did, and I certainly didn't expect to be a mother so young, but I am," she said. "Then my whole world went to hell and back but this time, it's Sasuke who's keeping me in the dark,"

"Maybe he had good reason for not telling you. Maybe he's just trying to protect you," Ino said. The topic of keeping secrets was hitting to close to home for her comfort.

"I'm not a child Ino," Sakura said. "I can take care of myself. What's driving me crazy is all the secrecy. I thought I knew him well enough but this is just insane. Lying to me, is not protecting me, it's just lying. He didn't tell me the full truth, and that's the same thing,"

"Sometimes we have to lie to protect the one's we love," Ino said. "And…Sasuke does love you, doesn't he?" she asked. Sakura heard the water boil, but didn't make any moves to take it off the stove. Ino got up and took care of the task.

"He didn't tell me so," Sakura said. Ino waited a few beats, before she realized something.

"You told him though…didn't you?" she asked. "You told him you love him," she said. When Sakura continued to be silent, Ino knew then that this was much harder on Sakura than any of them could have imagined.

"Yes. I did. And he still left," she said. "That's what I didn't care to share with the police. That I'm in love with a criminal," she said looking Ino in the eyes. Ino found it hard to maintain eye contact. She was just as guilty of lying to Sakura as everyone else was, but it had to be done. She had a lot to digest after this. Sakura being in love with Sasuke didn't really come as that much of a shock, but the enormity of the situation was incredible. And Sakura didn't even know the half of the story.

"Ino, I know you mean well, but I'd just really rather be alone right now," Sakura said. Ino nodded, understanding. Sakura was completely closed off now, and nothing she said would have any impact on her.

"Okay then. Call me if you need anything forehead," she said.

"Thanks Ino pig," said Sakura with a halfhearted smile. Ino took her leave, finally giving Sakura some peace. She appreciated the gesture, but she didn't feel like listening to people telling her how much they understand her pain, because they didn't. No one knows what it felt like to lose someone they love twice.

Needing to keep busy, Sakura decided to clean the house, even though it was pretty clean already. There were still some boxes that needed unpacking in the attic. After the move to Tokyo, Sakura got pretty preoccupied with Sasuke and didn't really get around to fully unpacking. Deciding to commit was another motivator. She was not about to uproot Sora once more simply to get away from things.

This was his home now.

Once everything was orderly downstairs, Sakura opened the door with the steep stairs leading into the attic. There were several boxes and they were all dusty as hell. This would occupy her for a while, at least until Sora got out of school. She got to work and lost herself in cardboard.

She had spent most of the afternoon dusting and organizing the boxes, which she actually found enjoyable. The memories of happier times put a smile on her face. All of Sora's baby clothes and things were neatly organized for a donation pile, as he wouldn't be needed them anymore and she certainly was not about to have another child anytime soon.

There were a few more boxes left, and they were all Sai's belongings.

"Now or never," she said as she pulled the first box. It was a pile of his clothes. Sai was never one for color. Most of his things were in the gray and black family. She smiled as she remembered the time she asked him if he was going for the Goth look and he simply gave her a smile followed by a comment if she was going for the air-head bubblegum look with her hair. She dutifully socked him in the face afterwards.

The clothes had to go as well.

The next box was filled to the brim with his artwork. She even found the scroll with Sora's first steps on them. These she was going to keep for life. She had a great time going through the rest of his collection. Some paintings and sketches she remembers him drawing, the others must have been from before he met her.

Then there was a pile, all wrapped in old cloth, tucked away at the bottom of another box. When she unwrapped it, she found more drawings, but different from the others.

Those drawings were strange. They looked like human monster hybrids in all kinds of shapes and sizes. He went so far as to make notes of abilities under some of them. He must have been considering creating a manga of some kind, though he never told her about it. He never really told her much about his past, only that he had no family and was pretty much on his own.

There was one particular drawing that had her stop and stare.

It was a white man with large yellow serpentine eyes. His long black hair came down in curtains over his tunic and belt. But it was his long snake-like tongue that had her freaking out. This was creepy, on another level altogether. It gave her shivers and this unknown sense of evil. Why would he draw something like that? She certainly didn't want Sora to see something so demonic. She was just about to roll it back up and tuck it way, when she saw the writing on the back; Sai's handwriting.

**OROCHIMARU**

That was all that was written, followed by a symbol that make Sakura hold her breath.

Right there, in the corner, was Sasuke's Tattoo symbol.

It was a three coma marks. She examined the markings closer and knew that was the one. She knew that symbol well. Now that she thought about it, she remembered that there were times when Sasuke would conceal it. She was too preoccupied in the past to question him about it, but that was the exact symbol.

"What the hell?" she whispered. She unloaded more papers and gazed upon more and more pictures and documents, all of them just as mysterious as the next. She found another document with the symbol at the top followed by text.

It was known as the Curse Seal of Heaven.

Sakura sat and read Sai's handwritten notes, horrified at every word that unraveled a dark and sinister individual with inhuman goals. How was Sai related to all of this? Why did he have such extensive material on these monstrosities? Sakura was beginning to feel sick to her stomach. Sai couldn't have been involved with all this kind of business.

She read on, realizing with every page that this was more than just some cult. Names and dates and locations all told her these were recent events not more than ten years ago.

She knew him. The Sai she knew and loved would never participate in human experiments. The father of her son would never sacrifice other children to this madness. In her haste, she knocked over another box, and a small black book fell out.

The little book fell and opened up to a page. As Sakura read, she couldn't' believe it.

"What is this?" she whispered to herself. This was Sai's handwriting and drawings again. All these pages were dated. It started fifteen years ago. Sai would have been twelve when all this began. She found another document, one that confused her just as much as the next.

Three little letters and one particular name sent a deadly chill down her spine.

**C. I. A**

The next name and title sent fire into her soul.

**Hatake Kakashi, Commander**

"Oh my God," she said as she dropped the book. "Oh my God," she said again as her breathing hitched. "That can't be true. That can't…" she said forcing herself to grab the book again and flip through it. Sai hadn't left anything out. He included pictures of her father, his history, his missions, his subordinates, his rise through the ranks and his own hit list.

For hours, Sakura opened and read every note and scroll and looked through every picture. The entire attic floor was covered in what she fashioned as Sai's most intricate story of himself. The real Sai was laid out before her.

CIA data profiles, mission logs, hit lists, foreign intelligence years old, sketches and more of a different man leading a different life.

She fell to her knees and tried to control her breathing. Her world was in pieces and her husband Sai was a man she didn't really know. Sasuke, the love of her life was a man wanted by the very organization her father controlled.

Who were the people in her life? Secret agents, spies, criminals…this was all stuff you hear about on TV or spy novels. Was this really happening?

She ran down the stairs and opened the door to the children's room. Sakura tried to control her breathing as she watched them sleep: those two little kids, so alike in so many ways. They were alike in too many ways and now they shared one more thing, one more lie.

How was it that in this world, she would find herself in love with two men, both of whom she didn't really know, and who were but a mirror image of each other; one a secret agent, one a secret criminal? What was the world doing to her? How could she look at her babies and not see their fathers every time?

The rage, the shock and the hurt, was too much for her to process. Her mind did what any would do in extreme chaos. It shut down, and re-wired itself.

There was still one father left; hers.

She gave them everything she had. Now she's the one that needed answers, and by God she would get them. She grabbed her phone, and ran back to the attic, grabbing Sai's book. Dialing her father, he picked up on the first ring.

* * *

**Kakashi's POV:**

Something was up. The sound of her voice, devoid of any emotion scared the hell out of him when he spoke to her on the phone. It was raining like mad outside, and Sakura chose to stay in her own house rather than go back to Sasuke's.

He raced out of the base and made his way over to her as fast as he could. He found her door unlocked, which scared him even more.

"Sakura!" he shouted, before he spotted her.

He found Sakura standing in the living room, deathly still yet staring straight at him. Every cell in Kakashi's system went on alert. Something had happened, and it wasn't good.

"Is everything alright Sakura? Why wasn't your door locked?" he asked. She was looking at him with a hardness he had never seen in her before. It was as if she was trying to figure him out. "Sakura?" he asked again.

"I just had a very exhausting day," she said quietly. She still continued to look at him with that calculating gaze.

"Would you like to tell me about it?" he asked. This was his daughter, and he knew a mission when he saw one staring him in the face. He would not hesitate in front of her.

"I'm done telling everyone everything," Sakura said. "Now I'm the one that needs some information,"

"What kind of information?" he asked. Sakura broke her eye contact with him and walked over to stand by the mantle. She gently caressed the photo of Sai holding baby Sora. She lifted it up and held it to him. Kakashi took the frame, trying to figure out where this was going. "Sakura?" he asked.

"You would tell me everything I needed to know right?" she asked, searching his eyes for any sign of a flicker, any hesitation at all. There was none.

"Of course I would," said Kakashi. He began to walk away toward her.

"What about things I _wanted _to know?" she asked, making him stop. "Things others might think I shouldn't know, for my own safety or whatnot. You would, wouldn't you?" she asked. Kakashi simply stared at his daughter, analyzing her tone, trying to decipher what she was getting at. He gave her a slow nod and continued to walk toward her.

"Good," she said slowly. "Can you tell me who the man in that picture is?" she asked. He stopped walking. He literally froze. He glanced down at the picture again and a sense of dread began to fill him. She couldn't have. There was no way she could begin to think…

"It's Sai. Sakura what is going on? Did something happen?" he asked.

"Just," she said while holding up her hand, which was shaking slightly. "Tell me who the man in the picture is; the one that's holding my baby, the one who gave me that baby. Who is he?" she asked.

"Sakura I don't know where you're-"

"Well then why don't I tell you about my day Daddy?" she said. "My days have sucked lately and I've always wondered why I've felt so discombobulated with the people around me. Sometimes I fell like everyone's walking on eggshells around me and that I'm missing out on some inside joke you all share. I've always wondered, why. Then Today, Sai gave me some answers," she said pulling out a small black book from the mantle.

He registered the book for the full loaded smoking gun that it was, and knew that his relationship with his daughter as it had been was finally up.

"Explain to me what the ANBU Black Ops ROOT division is, and more importantly, why does Sai's name come after it?" she asked.

Kakashi stared at the familiar book, the one Sai composed during his life at the CIA. In Sakura's hands, the book was fire ready to burn.

"You would know what that is wouldn't you? Start talking," she demanded. "Commander Hatake of the CIA," she added. He could have died right there. There was no forgiveness in her eyes.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**Stuff is happening now lol. Not much Sasuke for now but don't worry he'll be back sooner than you think. **

**One thing I must address here, and that a few of you have caught yourself, is the inconsistency with my timeline of this story. My story has a big plot hole and I am not sure how much time has passed in the story, or where they are in the year. So for the sake of the story and making things make sense, I'm just going to say that right now, the story is in the month of May. This is fan fiction and I don't think many people really care about realistic things, (I really don't) but for those of you that do, I'll give you this much at least. **

**Sora**: Nobody cares!

**Suki:** Yeah you're boring the readers!

**Jun:** Yeah!

**Sora and Suki**: Get outta here Jun! No one remembers whose kid you are!

**Jun:** Don't blame me! Blame animequeen! She's the procrastinator!

**Me:** /-_-\ called out by my own chibi's.

**I still really really really love reviews! **


	32. The Sound of Truth

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 32: The Sound of Truth**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Kakashi's POV:**

This wasn't the first night in which Kakashi realized that one did not have to be on the brink of death to see their lives flash before their eyes, but it certainly felt like it. He saw every moment of his life from the minute she was born to the moment she confronted him.

All of her childhood that was painstakingly built by the shadows of the dangerous life he lead, crumbled before him, leaving only her burning green eyes demanding the truth.

"Tell me…," Sakura said as she stared up at him. "This…" she said holding up the book "…is Sai's confession, so I don't need you to confirm it. But I need you to say it,"

Kakashi was at a loss for words. The loss of his standing in Sakura's eyes weighed heavily on him, and he knew that no crafty lies or hasty denials would do him any good. The book she held in a death grip would negate all he said, for nothing could be more dangerous than that damned book. He couldn't lie to her any longer.

"When I was a child I was approached by an organization that recruited me for both my advanced intelligence and physical capabilities, in hopes of becoming an asset to them. I accepted, I was trained, and I excelled. I've been called to protect and serve the people of this country from things that have never seen the light of day because of what we do to stop it. What we do requires a great many sacrifices. We keep our missions and our lives in the shadows, even from the ones we love," he said.

Sakura stood as still as a statue, absorbing everything and holding on to herself as he continued.

"I am Hatake Kakashi, Commanding Leader of the CIA," said Kakashi, his eyes still and unwavering at the sight of her taking it all in. He couldn't read her at all. She was deathly still, her eyes devoid of all emotion, her countenance unresponsive as he exposed the secret of his true identity. She was scaring the living soul right out of him. Never in his life had he seen her still, this unpredictable.

"I've told you countless lies and kept you closed off from the world as the dark and dangerous place that I know it to be," he continued. "I've seen the worst of what humanity has to offer and then some; limitless evils so unimaginable that we ourselves must be kept secret, to keep those evils secret. But there is one solid truth that I have never denied you Sakura," he said moving a step toward her. "You are my daughter, and nothing, not even your lost faith in me, will stop me from loving you and protecting you the only way I know how,"

Sakura stood and stared as he made his confession. This was her father. He was her whole world before Sai and Sora. Never once in her life did she think something like this was even possible. But here he was, laying it all down before her as she forced his hand. She knew what she was asking, and she would bear the consequences.

"…did…my mother…" she couldn't get the rest of the words out. Kakashi didn't need her to do so in order to get the message.

"She knew," he said watching her carefully as he spoke. "I didn't have to hide it from her…because your mother was also a CIA agent. More than that, she was a medical doctor on the verge of becoming the next Tsunade. Both of us agreed that you were not to be told of this," he said noticing the change in her demeanor all of the sudden. She shifted back slightly, a new flame developing in her eyes.

"…Tsunade? Is she also…" she whispered, and Kakashi realized his slip. "Are you telling that Tsunade, the same Tsunade that taught me everything I know about medicine is with the CIA as well?" Kakashi closed his eyes briefly, cursing himself for his lack of control, before nodding. When he opened his eyes, he saw her stance was more aggressive, her breathing more rapid. "Who else?"

"Sakura I can't give them away," he said.

"WHO ELSE?" she shouted. "If I found out about you, it's only a matter of time before I find out about the others. Tell me who else I know, that I don't _really_ know,"

"I can't" he said firmly.

"Can't or won't?" she shot back. "Didn't I ask you if you would tell me everything I wanted to know? Didn't I ask you if you would tell me things that you thought were on a need to know basis? How is protecting their identities going to better me?"

"Sakura," he started. "I know you're angry at me and I know you're confused and hurt, but that is precisely why I can't tell you anything more. You don't understand the severity of this situation we're in right now. I am not keeping this from you because I don't trust you; I'm doing this for your own protection,"

"By keeping me in the dark?" she said. "It's a little too late for that now that I know this much about you, and that can't be erased," she said looking at him. When he didn't say anything, she began to shake her head. "Oh God you don't have some kind of mind erasing device on you do you?" she asked. Had the situation not been so serious, Kakashi would have laughed at that.

"The CIA is not what you see in the movies. We don't have mind numbing devices, but we have our methods," he warned. "Sakura, in light of this situation I will tell you what I can. But please try to understand the delicacy of this. I know it's asking a lot of you right now, but I need you to try to trust me on this,"

Now Sakura could have laughed. Trust was so far gone he had no idea.

"I'm still your father," Kakashi said when he saw the unwillingness in her eyes. "Now that you're a mother, I know you understand what a parent would do to protect their children. You have no idea the dangers my life has placed you in, but I need you to trust that what I did, I only did to keep you safe," he said taking her face in his hands.

The tears came rolling down her eyes. Funny, she thought she ran out of those a while back. But as her father stared at her, pleading with her to trust him, she was lost. She just didn't know what to do anymore. She didn't want to trust him. She didn't know who she could trust really. How many others were out there? Why wouldn't he tell her? This was so much to take it, and she had never felt more alone.

But when Kakashi pulled her into his arms and held her tight, she felt just like a kid again, hugging her Daddy after a hard day of troubles. And just like that, the memories of growing up with him flooded her brain, and she remembered that through it all, he was still her father. But the restlessness in her would not settle, and anger would not subside.

She pulled away, determined to get her voice heard as she wiped the tears angrily away.

"I don't trust you. I don't trust you at all right now," she said, crushing him. "Apparently, I couldn't even trust my own husband!"

"Sakura, Sai was never supposed to-''

"What?" she interrupted. "Never supposed to what? Leave a book of secrets behind? Was he supposed to destroy everything in a burn after read manner so that I wouldn't find it?"

Kakashi summoned his strength, willing himself to say what he had wanted to say to her all those years ago. "…He was never supposed to get this close to you," he said.

Sakura paused, her face falling into a sort of neutral state; not dead, but not alive either. His daughter was always smart. Her brain was always a step above the rest and Kakashi knew that that superior mind of hers was processing and decoding the very simple sentence he had just spoken.

Until now, Sakura's mindset was set that Sai lead a double life because of the CIA. But now she was thinking he did it because of_ her_, and more precisely…because of her father.

"… Close to me?" she whispered. "He was never supposed to get _close to me_?" the unwanted realization clawing its way into her sponge-like brain. The water was getting muddier by the minute. "Sai and me, we were…I met him…" she thought back to the two of them and remembered. She remembered how he was never far from her, and how she never understood, nor questioned, his constant presence. She looked at her father and remembered his constant absence as well. Putting the pieces together, she sucked in a breath and asked.

"Because of you," she said. "I met him because of you…didn't I?" she asked, not wanting to know the answer to that. Kakashi didn't respond, and it was in these times where his silence spoke louder than any words could. Sakura's eyes burned with tears she forced back.

"W…was I just some…_assignment_ for him?" she asked. When Kakashi didn't immediately respond again, Sakura nearly dropped the book she had been clutching in a death grip.

Thinking about it now, she had to wonder at the timing of Sai's arrival into her life. She was only sixteen then. He transferred into her school and stuck to her like glue ever since. Things didn't get romantic until later on, but Sai never quite fit into the picture. Sai and emotions were never a good mix until later as well. A complete feeling of sickness simmered at the pit of her stomach at the dark trail her thoughts were carving.

Steading herself, she looked up at Kakashi waiting for an answer.

Kakashi thought she looked as delicate as the Sakura blossoms that were her namesake. Beautiful, but so very fragile a small breeze could break it off the branch. The truth would break her completely.

"My enemies were great in numbers," he began. "Though I tried as hard as I could to keep my identity secret, they found ways to uncover the truth. It didn't take them long to find my one and only weakness in my young daughter. I took no chances with your life Sakura, and I eliminated anyone that knew about your existence," he said, making her shudder at the subtly of his meaning.

"But as we entered the technology age, I realized that crimes of a certain nature were only escalating. We were up to our necks in missions. As I rose through the ranks, my responsibilities grew as did the dangers that came with it. I found myself spending more and more time away from you, and it wasn't long before I realized that I couldn't protect you myself anymore,"

"The threats kept coming," he continued. "You have no idea how many attempts have been made on your life Sakura," he said, and only then did her anger dissipate enough for her to really listen to him. "I was able to prevent most from even following through with their plans, but there was one time I wasn't able to," he said.

"…When?" she asked. She never recalled any time when she was ever in any kind of danger.

"We were dealing with a group that was developing highly toxic weapons overseas. The toxins were a mixture of chemicals we didn't even know existed. I was leading the case, and managed to take down the organization, but not before they were able to strike back at me. When you were fifteen, they poisoned you with it, while you were at school" he said as Sakura shook her head.

"But I don't remember-"

"That's because you passed out from the fumes before the agent assigned to you stopped you from drinking it!" he said, frustration building again from remembering the incident. "They put it in a damned water bottle that you had gotten from a vending machine! The solution was so strong and the perfect poison because it was colorless and had a sweet scent. Anyone could have assumed it was sugar. The only thing is its high acid levels that you only notice once you've already passed out. It was strong enough to burn a hole through your body should you drink it," he said.

"But…how could they have known I would get that bottle? How can I not remember that?" she asked.

"This is how dangerous the enemies I face are," he said. "This is how close they can get to our loved ones should we not take the precautions that we do. You didn't get that water bottle. It was _given_ to you by one of your classmates,"

Shock infiltrated her body. One of her classmates gave it to her?

"A student? But how-"

"She was no student. Don't think for a second that national criminals are all adults Sakura, because you'll find even the most unlikely of people and age groups can be involved with crime, making them the perfect criminals," he said. "She was a girl named Kin Tsuchi, do you remember someone like that?" he asked.

Sakura thought back to her second year of high school, and she did remember a girl called Kin that transferred in and out just as quickly. Sakura remembered the girl with long black hair that had a thing for bells and these long needle things she used in her hair. Sakura asked her about it once, and she claimed they were knitting needles, though she thought they were too sharp for such a purpose. She didn't remember ever getting anything from her though, and that was right around the time Sakura was out of school sick with a bad flu. Kin transferred out after that.

"I was sick when she left," she said. Kakashi shook his head. Now that she remembered, it was a good chance to explain that event.

"You weren't sick, you were unconscious for almost a week," Kakashi said. "Kin was a fifteen-year-old criminal involved with an organization called 'Sound'. She was sent to your class with the sole intention of killing you. That was no flu you endured. You're a doctor. Think back and remembered what you suffered, and you'll find that that was not the flu,"

She did think back, and now that she thought about it, she realized that a flu wouldn't leave her as debilitated as she was then. But how could she have survived something like that? As if reading her thoughts, Kakashi continued.

"Kin was a young and naive Sound operative," he said. "One of her biggest flaws was being overly confident in her abilities. She was supposed to lace the water with enough poison so you would drink it without noticing anything was off. Kin put in so much poison that you passed out from the fumes alone before you could drink any of it. Her mistake saved you from getting killed," he said.

"We took care of Kin, and instead of death, you suffered from blood poisoning. It took Tsunade everything she had to revive you from it. The Agent watching over you brought you to the CIA base immediately because he knew your life was hanging by a thread," he said. "Once Tsunade stabilized you, I took you home and waited for you to wake up. Tsunade wasn't given enough credit. Not only did she save you from any permanent damage, she was able to create the antidote for the toxic material, effectively helping us put an end to its production,"

"I…I was almost…" she couldn't speak.

"I nearly lost you that day" Kakashi said grabbing her shoulders. "And I knew then that I couldn't take any chances with your life. You were my daughter and the only reason I had to live. No matter what the cost, I would stop at nothing to make sure you were kept safe, but it had to be done discreetly,"

Sakura harnessed all her energy to stop shaking. Knowing you were so close to death and barely escaping would do that to a person.

"This was more than the average mission with the average Agent," Kakashi continued "This was taping into Black Ops. There was one Agent who was brought to me, that fit all the right criteria and had the skillset to function in this changing world. He was among the elite, in a specialized division in Black Ops known as ROOT," he said.

"Sai," she whispered. Kakashi nodded.

"Sai was the Agent I chose to be your guardian in my absence. He was transferred into your school, assigned to your class, and his sole mission was to always be near you and protect you from harm while I was away,"

She remembered the day Sai transferred in. She remembered how she was freaked out by the strange new student who was pale as hell with dark depthless eyes and a fake smile that put her on edge. She also remembered how he was seated right next to her, and how he never left her side.

"You were his mission, and _only _his mission," Kakashi said, watching her break. "Sai always completed the tasks assigned to him without question and you were no exception…but there was something I had never thought to consider," he said forcing her to look him in the eye.

"I never stopped to realize you were growing up," he said. "After a few months, I noticed a change in Sai, one that I did not appreciate. I finally realized that Sai saw you as more than a mission. You became his reason for living. As much as I wanted to kill him for it at the time, Sakura, I want you to know that Sai loved you in his own way,"

Sakura pulled away shaking her head and letting the hurt come out.

"I can't," she said. "I can't believe that anymore. I can't believe anything from you anymore," she said falling to her knees. Kakashi moved to hold her, but she pulled away. "How could he have loved me if I was just a mission for him?" she asked

"That's exactly what I asked myself in the beginning," he said. "That was why I was so against the two of you from the start. I didn't believe him to know what love was or that he knew you enough to love you. His life was just like mine, and you would only be in the cross hairs of both our dangers,"

She looked up at him, broken. "That's why you tried to keep us apart," she said.

"He knew the dangers of your life. He fought any of them that managed to get close enough. But somehow, the line between mission and life blurred for him, and there came the day where Sai confessed his intentions with you," he said remembering the day with clarity.

"_Your mission to protect Sakura is to cease immediately," Kakashi said to Sai in the Kyoto base. Sai didn't give any indication of accepting the order. He simply stared at Kakashi, reading the underlying meaning behind his words. _

"_Have you found a replacement for her then?" Sai asked. _

"_That is none of your concern," Kakashi replied stiffly. _

"_I have been guarding Sakura for the past two years. Her safety is my concern," said Sai. _

"_Not any longer," said Kakashi. Sai knew it was time to make his intentions known, even though he was certain Kakashi knew. It seemed like he needed to hear it. _

"_I will not comply," Sai said to Kakashi's surprise. "I will not stop protecting her, regardless of what you say," _

"_It's an order, and you don't have a choice," Kakashi stated. _

"_I don't take orders from you or anyone anymore when it comes to Sakura," Sai said without hesitation. "Don't act like you don't know what I mean Kakashi," he added. _

"_And don't pretend like you don't know what that means for you Sai," Kakashi said. "Stay away from my daughter," he ordered. Sai gave him his signature fake smile. _

"_That's the one thing I can no longer do," he said. "I've come to discover that she's not just a mission anymore," _

"_She is nothing more than that for you! Remember that Sai," Kakashi said with deadly intent. _

"_I love her," said Sai. "And I won't let her go. Not now, not ever," he said right before Kakashi punched him in the jaw, sending him flying toward the wall. Sai got up and wiped the blood off his face with his gloved hand. _

"_I won't stop loving her. You just have to accept that," Sai continued. No sooner had he finished that sentence that Kakashi sent the next blow to his stomach this time. It continued, for about five minutes, before they finally attracted the attention of the other Agents. _

_Asuma was the first to tackle Kakashi to the ground, followed by Guy and Yamato. Some of the younger Agents went to assist Sai, Naruto being one of them. Kakashi couldn't see reason that day and was ashamed to admit that he had to be sedated. When he came to after that, Sai had gone back to Sakura, but not before he had resigned from the CIA. _

_The next day Sakura had come to see him at his home, her hurt and anger at what he had done to Sai evident in her voice. Sakura effectively declared her love for Sai as well, knowing that he did not approve. He saw the way she looked when she talked about him, and Kakashi knew that she honestly believed herself to be in love with him. There was nothing he could do short of locking her up, and knew the game was up when she told him about the wedding. _

"_I know I'm young," she said to him. "And I know you don't believe that I know what love is, or that I'm ready for it, but I don't want to be without him," she said. "I love him Daddy. Please come and see me marry him…or don't see me at all," she said. He knew it hurt her to say that to him as much as it hurt him to hear it from her. When she left, Kakashi closed himself off from the world for a few days. _

_He did see her marry him, but he was still angry enough that he didn't want her to know he had. The anger continued and the extreme need to protect his daughter from the mistake she was making almost took over until he found out through his own Intel, that Sakura was pregnant, and that Sai was unaware of that fact himself. _

_The pregnancy was the only reason why Kakashi didn't kill Sai that day. It was also the reason why he accepted them. Things can change a man, and Kakashi knew his Sakura to be someone that had that potential. Sai would live…for now. _

"That was the day he came back to me after you fought him." she said remembering the time Sai came back battered and bruised after her father had unleashed his fists on him. Sakura had never truly forgiven him for that. Kakashi's eyes darkened at the memory as well. It was one of the few times in his life where had truly lost control of himself. It took four agents to pull him off of Sai before he killed him.

"I couldn't accept it," he admitted. "I couldn't accept the two of you together. I saw the change in Sai, but I still couldn't let you go. I could have killed him that day, and it was only afterwards when I realized…he never fought back," he said looking away from her. "He never once raised his hand to me, and that was when I realized he truly meant to be with you,"

Sakura choked back a sob. Her heart screamed at her life, and the revelations. She saw her father move toward her again and she held up her hand, stopping him. "I need you to go," she said. "Just go,"

"Sakura he loved you, he really did," Kakashi said.

"I don't know what he felt!" she said. "I don't know who he really was. I'll never know now," she said through broken sobs. "I don't know who you are. I don't know who anyone around me is including myself…but the worst part is that I don't know how I'm going to look at Sora and not remember how I have no idea who his father really was,"

He couldn't say anything. There was nothing he could have said to make any of her hurt go away. He caused all of this, and seeing her wilt before him was worse than any pain he had ever known before.

"Please…just leave me right now," she said getting up off the floor. "I can't. I can't be around you right now so just go," she said not looking at him. Kakashi hesitated. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her there like that, but he knew that staying would only anger her more. There was so much more he wanted to tell her, so much that he needed to ask and explain about Sasuke as well, but she needed time to process all of this, and that was the least he could do for her.

"I love you Sakura. No matter what, that's the one truth you will always have from me," he said before turning around and walking out the door, and into the storm.

When she heard the click of the door, she finally turned to stare at the spot where he had just been. It hurt. It hurt so much to say that to her father. The anger she felt couldn't mask the grief that came with it, but it was the anger that was driving her now; the anger and the betrayal.

Everything was falling apart around her. Sasuke was gone, Sai was gone, some crazy sporadic bastard was dangling her on a string of fear, and Sora and Suki were lost among this mess. She didn't know who to trust, and she couldn't trust herself to hold it together long enough to figure this out.

She was so tired, but no matter how much she tried to rest, she found her problems following her everywhere. They haunted her dreams and they were in every waking thought she had. Now she didn't know what to make of her past and her present was too much to process, let alone her future.

She stayed in the living room for hours, staring at the fire as the storm continued outside and thought about everything she had learned tonight. She continued to think, long into the night. A new Sakura was forming, and even she didn't know that outcome entailed.

* * *

**Tsunade's POV:**

Tsunade sat at her desk with a grave expression as Kakashi paced before her. He came to her right after his visit with Sakura, and one look at his face told her that the secret was out at last.

"She knows," Kakashi said. "She knows about me and about you," he said. Tsunade sat at her desk, evaluating Kakashi. He was a man trapped on both ends and one of them finally snapped. She knew this day would come, and she knew what that would require.

"Who else is she aware of?" Tsunade asked.

"Only the two of us," he replied. "Telling her any more than that would compromise her cover," he said, to which she shrugged. It seemed that even a single crack in the cover would eventually lead to complete discovery, but she would keep that to herself for now.

"How did I manage to slip out?" she asked curiously.

"I told her about her mother, and I was too unstable to realize I included you into the mix," he said. "Now she won't even talk to me,"

"Well what did you expect?" she asked "She's an emotional wreck right now and can barely process the everyday as it is. How did she find out exactly?"

Kakashi chuckled darkly. "Sai left his damned missions log in a box in the attic that she just happened to find," he said. "After his death, we searched everywhere for any possible evidence he could have left behind of his time here. And the whole time it was in his attic, hidden in plain sight of his belongings. How we missed it is beyond me,"

"We'll give her time to pull herself together," Tsunade began. "But rest assured that the security detail on her will not cease. It's about time we spoke to her frankly about what's been going on here, and what it is that we do for the country. You know it's time," she said when it looked like he would protest.

"I never wanted her to get involved with this. I wanted her to lead as normal a life as possible," he said.

"Kakashi, you had to have known that was impossible with Sakura, not because of your place here," she said indicating the CIA. "But because she was extraordinary from the minute she was born. Not even I could accomplish all that she has in her young life. Sakura was born from you and Rin, because she was destined for greatness, just like you were,"

"Then why is my daughter wallowing in pain right now?" he asked. "What could I possible say to her to justify all this? She doesn't even believe in her love for Sai anymore once she found out about the protection detail. There's no talking to her right now,"

"Then we let her simmer for a bit," she said. "Sakura is intelligent and she wants answers, no matter how much they hurt. She will come to us when she's ready. In the meantime, we let her be, and we make sure none of the other Agents reveal themselves to her,"

Kakashi didn't like it, but he had no choice. "I'll inform the others," Tsunade offered.

* * *

**CIA Command Center:**

Shikamaru waited in the designated area as the others made their way over. He had gotten the call from Tsunade and was asked to inform the others in this new turn of events. He had to keep the Intel as secluded as possible, which is why he didn't tell Ino right away.

"Yo," said Kiba as he and the other guys approached "What was so important it couldn't wait till morning?" he asked. Neji, Lee, Chouji and Shino followed behind.

"Where's Naruto?" Shikamaru asked.

"On the way," Neji answered. "He was at the base training and then bolted for Ichiraku's. We've got about ten minutes before he shows up. What's this about Shikamaru?"

"It's probably best we talk before he gets here," Shikamaru said looking at the people he trusted the most. "I've just been informed by Tsunade that Sakura found out about Sai's history with the CIA," he said, making everyone wake up at the news.

"Damn, that's problematic," Kiba said.

"How is that possible?" Neji asked.

"Apparently Sai left a book with details in it that she found in their attic. And when I mean details, I mean he didn't leave anything out. She cornered Kakashi earlier this evening and he didn't deny it," he said.

"Who's been compromised?" Neji asked.

"She only knows about Kakashi, Tsunade and Sai. None of us were mentioned in Sai's book," Shikamaru said.

"That Bastard," Kiba said, making everyone look at him. "What? I'm glad I'm not compromised or anything but it kind of rubs me the wrong way that Sai left us out. I know it's irrational so stuff it," he said when Neji glared.

"Why did you not want this discussed in front of Naruto?" Lee asked. "This is something he would want to know,"

"Naruto's too close to Sakura to think clearly on this," Shikamaru said. "It's come to the attention of the higher ups that Naruto's relationship with both Sasuke and Sakura could be a danger to our cover. He already harbors an immense guilt to lying to them about the CIA. Telling him about Sakura's awareness will possibly prompt him to reveal his role to her,"

"He still needs to know," Kiba said "From what I hear about that car incident, Naruto can only last so long before spilling his guts,"

"Which is why Kakashi wants to tell him himself," Shikamaru replied. "For now, I called you all here to talk about our game plan from here on out. Some news has surfaced about Sasuke's possible whereabouts, and for now, he's priority one. There haven't been any more moves against Sakura since his disappearance, prompting us to think she wasn't really a target at all,"

"Try telling that to Kakashi," Neji said. "You know he won't buy that. I certainly don't,"

"Neither do I," Shikamaru said. "We all know what the Sound Organization entails and we're not naive enough to assume the group is completely down. We always have to assume there are rogue operatives in the shadows. Whether Sasuke fits into that category is what we need to investigate. Sakura will still be under protection, but be weary of her. She won't trust anyone now, and if our presence is not needed, we will not rouse her suspicions anymore so,"

"Try telling that to Naruto," Kiba said. "You know he won't care about the suits say. He's not going to stop being around her, or stop trying to hunt down Sasuke,"

"I'll let Kakashi deal with that," Shikamaru said. "In the meantime, inform Tenten and Hinata," he said to Neji.

"Why was my presence needed for this?" Shino asked. In truth, the other guys also wondered why Shino was summoned.

"I hear you've got something in the works in the form of a tracker beetle. I thought we could use that to get to Sasuke, should the theory of the insect hold," Shikamaru said.

"The theory is a proven fact now," Shino said. "The Bikochu will track the object based on first inhalation of the scent. If we can expose the hatchling to Sasuke's scent, we can try to use it to find him"

"Just keep Naruto away," Kiba said with a snicker. He was there the last time Shino experimented with the Bikochu. So was Naruto, and the result was not pretty. Shino began to release hostile energy at the memory. It took him three damn years to get another beetle. He'll be damned if he loses his chance this time.

Naruto made his way up to them at that point. He took one look at Shino and swerved to stand by Lee. Even he could feel the negative energy rolling off him.

"You started without me? What gives?" Naruto asked.

"Good evening Naruto!" Lee said giving him a salute.

"You're the last one here. We have new developments in regards to Sasuke. Kakashi want's us at the base as soon as possible. He has something to discuss with you," Shikamaru said. Naruto shrugged and together the guys went to find Kakashi.

Shino walked ahead of Naruto, pausing to give him a quick look (or as much of a look as they could decipher based on the tall lab coat and creepy shades). Naruto hung back and nudged Kiba.

"What got up his ass all of the sudden?" Naruto asked. Kiba snickered once more.

"It's what comes out of yours that bugs him," Kiba said before giving in and laughing.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

The next morning, Sakura did her usual routine of getting the kids ready for school. She made breakfast for them and waited for Naruto to pick them up. Her concern for Sora and Suki continued to grow. Ever since she told them about Sasuke, they had been more quiet than usual.

It was evident that they missed him, but there was nothing she could do about it. She tried to be more attentive to them to make up for his absence. She tried talking to them more often, which she decided had its consequences when Suki asked her about dog reproduction at one point. She played it safe and gave them the stork theory.

She would sit and sketch with them, or watch Suki put on little ballet performances in the living room. She continued to watch their favorite anime with them and she even tried to get them involved with making dinner sometimes.

She hugged and kissed them both each night before they went to bed, making sure that they knew they were loved, regardless of Sasuke. The stability of home life was hanging by a thread. It transferred into work life as well.

They watched her, as the days went by. She could feel them watching. There was a hardness about her that was noticeable to all who knew her well. To her patients, she was still the caring doctor who put them at ease and treated them like the medical prodigy she was.

But to all else, she treated them with a wall between them. She trusted no one, and it showed. She even went as far as to analyze each one of them when they came up to her for a greeting. It was tiring, oh so tiring, and all she wanted to do was shut down.

* * *

**Naruto's POV:**

A few weeks had passed since Sakura learned the truth, and Naruto wanted so much to come clean. She knew about them, and he wanted her to know about him. He didn't want to lie to her anymore. But Kakashi had been firm that night. No one was to tell her anything until they had this all figured out. Kakashi specifically pulled him aside to get his promise that he would behave.

On the outside, Naruto put up a good debate on trying to convince everyone to spill the beans, but conceded in the end for Kakashi's sake. On the inside, he had an even crazier idea, one that he dare not speak aloud to Kakashi. He wanted Sakura to join them.

He saw the potential she had to be a CIA Agent herself. That training session they had an eternity ago was still fresh in his mind. She had the strength, stamina, and mindset to be an Agent, and a good one at that. If they harnessed her abilities, the possibilities were endless with her.

Then there was Sasuke. The Bastard was still missing. Sakura's appearance, through still beautiful, showed the strain of that. It was like the energy was draining right out of her, even though the anger burned. Several times Naruto came close to pulling her aside and confessing, but everyone else was on to him and stopped him before he could get the chance.

"You have to be strong," Hinata told him the last time he tried to confess. "As much as you want her to trust you, you have to trust that this is what's best for her. Until we find Sasuke and whoever else is after her, we can't reveal ourselves,"

Naruto hated it so much, but Hinata's pleas were enough for him to bury his intentions for now. Every now and then, the other Agents and would check up on each other to make sure Sakura wasn't too suspicious of them. So far, she hadn't cornered anyone. He managed to spot her walking toward them in the corner of his eye.

Had he not been watching her so closely, he would have missed how Sakura began to sway as she walked toward the nurses' station with some charts in her hands. He had just reached her when her legs gave out completely, sending her falling right into his arms.

She woke up a minute later to a panicked Naruto hovering dangerously close to her face.

"I'm fine," she said getting up.

"The hell you are! I will never believe that statement from you again," he said pulling her up. Hinata was right by his side, concern evident on her face.

"Sakura are you alright?" she asked. "Let me get Tsunade," she said moving to get up. Sakura's vice like grip on her arm prevented her from moving though.

"Don't!" she said harshly. She released Hinata's arm and apologized for grabbing her like that. "I'll be fine. Just give me a minute," she said while rubbing her temples. The beginnings of a head ache were making themselves known. That was the last thing she needed.

"Minute's up. I'm taking you home," Naruto said, making her glare. "You're going home. You know Tsunade will make you anyway so you don't have any choice," he said, not noticing the way her eyes narrowed.

"No. I don't seem to have many of those lately," she said, putting Naruto and Hinata on edge.

"Sakura, just let Naruto take you home," Hinata said. "I know you have a lot going on, and if you want, we can even take Sora and Suki for a day if you need the time,"

"I don't need any time to recover and I don't want the kids far from me. Thank you, but I'll just take the day off," she said, watching them closely. Hinata nodded and turned to leave, but not before she noticed her give Naruto a look before leaving.

Soon after that, Naruto drove her home, keeping conversation light as he did. Paranoia crept up on him as he noticed Sakura eye him from time to time, as if debating whether or not to confront him about her suspicions. She never did though, and Naruto was almost disappointed for it.

Had she asked, he wouldn't have held back.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

What did Tsunade think to accomplish by sending her home for a moment of weakness? Wouldn't she have been better off at the hospital, where her secret Agents could keep an eye on her?

Sakura had her suspicions; they were her constant companions now. Several people made the list, none of whom she dared to confront should she be wrong. The less people that knew about the whole CIA business the better.

She decided to use her forced day off to pull herself together. First order of business was a hot shower. She was tense and ached all over; classic signs of depression. And why shouldn't she be depressed? Her life warranted that diagnosis.

After working out all the kinks in the shower, she got dressed and decided to make something time consuming for dinner. Keeping busy applied to home life as well as work life. She spent the better part of the day making several dishes and using up whatever was left in the fridge. She would need to go shopping soon. Once that was done, she went upstairs to gather the laundry.

She passed by Sora's room and slowed, before entering. Might as well start here, she thought.

She took a good look around the room and stared. Drawings littered the floor and most other surfaces. Sora had been busy with his art for the past few weeks. She never noticed it before, but lately his drawings seemed to be improving. There was a bunch scattered on his drawing table that she picked up and quickly flipped through. She definitely noticed a change in the technique.

Being married to Sai taught her a lot about art. Sai once told her that as an artist grows, the changes can be seen in their art. Sakura just attributed part of that to a more logical explanation. As the mind grew more focused and perceptive, so does the communication between brain and hands. People didn't realize just how intricate the human hands were. With a complex array of muscles, ligaments, nerves and bones, the human hands were capable of anything, and responsible for the human races way of life today.

An artist sees and draws, while a surgeon sees, cuts, and repairs. She was so lost among the drama that she hadn't stopped to realize Sora was getting better at drawing. Feeling the guilt of neglecting her son creep up on her, Sakura gathered all of the sketch books she could find and sat down on Sora's racecar bed.

His lines were sharper and his colors more real. Sakura knew he was good at drawing, but this level of progression was impressive for a five-year-old. He was truly gifted, just like his father.

What would Sai say about Sora's drawings, she wondered. Would he have been proud? Would he have helped Sora perfect his technique? Would he have spent hours teaching him about all that art had to offer?

Did he love his son?

"Yes you did," she whispered to herself as the tears came once again. "I know you loved Sora," she said to the Sai in her mind. "And I know you loved me. I will never again doubt you on that. But you had to know that I loved you too, so much. Why couldn't you share this with me? I would have helped you, I would have been there for you if you needed me," she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Our son is growing up. I mean look at these drawings. I think our son would have surpassed you sooner than you think," she said as she flipped through the drawings. After a few times, her mind began to register certain things about those drawings.

She furrowed her brow as she flipped through the sketchpad as if it were a flip pad. All the drawings were different in colors and image, but there was a theme. They were the same character, over and over again: a tall white haired man with the same symbol on his arm. It looked like the lower case letter "d". She recognized this drawing from a while back. Sora said he was a ninja he came up with.

She heard the timer go off in the kitchen and gathered the drawings together to taking them downstairs. She checked on dinner and turned off all the burners before sitting down on the couch with the drawings. There was no mistaking that it was the same man. Why would Sora draw this man repeatedly?

Something about him was familiar too, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. Sakura took a moment to study the symbol on his arm: the letter 'd'.

"What does the 'd' stand for?" she asked. The phone rang, making her jump and knock over a pile of drawings, along with Sai's book that she left near the phone.

Cursing, she glared at the phone before decided to let the machine pick it up in case it was her father. She still wasn't ready to talk to him, and for all she knew, her phone line was taped. She spent a good part of the previous few nights wondering what other aspects of her privacy had been invaded. The machine eventually picked it up.

"_Sakura, I know you're home,"_ said Tsunade. _"I'm also aware that you know about me. We will talk when you're ready to do so. I'm not expecting you to be ready for some time, but on the off chance you are, you know how to get in touch with me. Don't let your emotions get the best of you. Whatever we did, we did for your safety," _she said before hanging up.

Sakura frowned at the phone. She would need some serious therapy after this. She sighed and bent to pick up the mess on the floor. She paused when she noticed Sai's book had fallen open. She picked it up carefully and skimmed the page.

She had read that book front to back multiple times. Each time she did, the dangers of Sai's other life became more real. The page she was reading was about that man, that Orochimaru character that seemed to be the top bad guy throughout his career.

But it was then that she recalled what his organization was all about. Sai had documented how to differentiate members of Orochimaru's organization. They were branded…with a tattoo on their left arm. The next page showed a sketch of the brand, making her gasp and bring one of Sora's drawings and place it right next to Sai's.

"Oh my God," she whispered. It was the same symbol. Sora was truly Sai's child in every way.

That was no letter 'd' that Sora drew. It was a musical note…the symbol for the Sound Organization.

Sora must have subconsciously been aware of that detail and was expressing his memories through his drawings. The people that were after her were from the Sound organization! That must have been it. What other explanation could there have been?

"But why?" she asked. "What do they want from us?" she flipped through Sai's book once more, desperately seeking more answers from him. It was ironic that only after his death did she feel as if she was really speaking to him. This book told her many things about him, and now it seemed like Sai was walking her through the dangers of CIA life.

"_Wait a minute…_," she thought as she recalled something her father said. He said when she was fifteen, she was targeted by a girl from the Sound Organization. That was the organization her father had been working to take down.

She flipped through Sai's book to the part that explained Orochimaru's dark organization and re-read the parts about his experiments. She found the part with the curse mark and read its contents.

This was how Sasuke was connected. He used to be a part of the Sound Organization! He had the curse mark, and according to Sai, Orochimaru only placed the mark on someone he thought was strong enough to sustain life after an experimental body-transfer project.

Orochimaru's ultimate goal was eternal life, and at one point, he thought those strong enough to withstand the curse would be strong enough to withstand Orochimaru being transplanted into their body.

He meant to kill Sasuke…and take over his body? The very thought made Sakura nauseous and terrified at the same time. What kind of monster was Orochimaru? What kind of people really existed out there, that the world was unaware of?

Perhaps her father wasn't so wrong about the dangers by association. According to Sai, Orochimaru was killed before the CIA could get to him, but what if this one of his minions, an enemy of Sai decided to come after her? He had been gone for three years. What could have possibly made her a target after three years?

Was this what Sasuke had figured out? Was this why he had left her? All his ominous clues fit into what she now knew.

_"There's so much you don't know,"_

_"…I'm not who you think I am,"_

"_You've already been put in danger more than you could ever know. I won't have you carrying on more than that because of me"_

_"I've made mistakes. I was involved in something that you couldn't even being to comprehend. Now the past has come back and I won't have you caught in the crossfires any more than you already are. Sakura, what's happening to you has everything to do with me, whether he wanted it too or not,"_

"Sasuke…," she whispered. "Oh Sasuke…what are you going to do?" And what would she do for that matter? She had just made three important discoveries. Her father was in the CIA, Sasuke was their most wanted criminal, and the man that attacked her was from the Sound Organization.

But she knew she had to swallow her anger, and go talk to her father. This was out of her hands now. "Time's up Sasuke," she whispered as the rain began to fall outside.

* * *

**Kabuto's POV:**

The smile on his face increased as he listened to her talk to herself about what she had just discovered. He knew his cherry blossom was smart. Time was almost up for her, but now it seemed like he would need to speed things up. He couldn't very well have her running to Daddy and telling him what she found.

Best distract her with something, and he knew just what to do. He glanced at the picture of the two raven haired children before crushing it in his palm and turning to his minion.

"Bring me the Uchiha Bratsssssss," he said

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**Drama and Stuff!**

**Big shout out to all those anonymous reviewers who send me reviews. I have never had so many anonymous reviews before and new readers as well. Thank you guys for reading! I will update again in two weeks. Hang tight. **


	33. Let it Burn

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 33: Let it Burn**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

In the middle of the vast planes of dry earth, he walked towards seemingly nothing. But he knew, better than anyone, that looks can be deceiving.

The place looked exactly as it had eight years ago. Not a rock out of place. He walked to the wall of the mountain, his steps even, his pace unhurried, as his eyes took in their surroundings. Here, in the wide open plane of boulders and dry dirt, he was the most vulnerable, but at the same time he knew that this place had already been searched by the CIA long ago. That didn't mean they weren't watching.

He wouldn't have put it past them to keep eyes here at all times. They knew by now. There was no way they didn't. Someone had known all along, and that was what continued to eat his nerves at night. He had been so careful, yet it didn't matter. One crack in the ice and here he was once again, going rouge.

But his purpose was nothing like his previous agenda. Now he had something to fight for, and he wouldn't stop until he protected what was his, or die trying. He almost did anyway and the thought ignited the rage in his blood.

His fury at getting shot did not lessen whatsoever as the weeks that went by. It was that fury, combined with the threat against his family that drove him to hunt them down. He was fully recovered now, but he would always have the scar to remind him of his true reason for anger. Had it not been him, that scar would have marked her, or taken her away from him for good.

His possessiveness in regards to her intensified unlike anything he had ever felt. She was in his every waking thought. Her face, her eyes, her body and even her scent plagued his dreams at night. He burned for her, and being away from her for this long was taking its toll, but he couldn't see her until he finished this.

He reached the base of the mountain and pulled out his Choukuto. Stabbing a slab, the rock moved out of the way. He entered as it closed up behind him. The Sound base was in shambles. Everything was destroyed.

He didn't know how much of the files the CIA had, but there might have been the off chance they didn't get everything. He had to know who was capable of orchestrating something like this with a big enough motive to put it in motion. The key had to be here somewhere. He had been searching every crevice of every base he knew, eyes ablaze with Sharingan that he would not be receding anytime soon.

Time was drawing near, and he would be ready once more.

* * *

**Sakura's House**:

Sakura woke with a start. She looked around the living room and saw that Suki had fallen asleep beside her on the couch, while Sora continued to draw on the coffee table before her. She rubbed her eyes open and saw that the TV was still on. The ninja anime they had been watching had ended and another anime was currently playing. She recalled watching the intro to that show before closing her tired eyes for just a minute that turned into a half hour.

Sakura covered Suki with a blanket and let her sleep on the couch for now. Sora was still drawing on the coffee table. Sakura turned the TV off and sat next to him on the floor, watching him draw.

"What are you drawing now?" she asked, as the familiar outline of the white haired man made his appearance.

"A ninja," Sora mumbled as he continued to draw. Sakura observed him carefully. He was so in tuned to his drawing that he barely registered her right next to him. She proceeded to watching him draw, following his movements and watching his face as he did so. There were moments when Sora would draw with fluidity, and then for the briefest of moments, he would pause. When he did, he would close his eyes and then draw once more as he opened them.

He was using his mind's eye to remember the form of the tattoo. Sakura grabbed a piece of paper and a black pencil and began to make her own drawing. She carefully began to make the musical note, with the noticeable curvature of the tip that distinguished it from Sora's straight line.

"What do you think of this?" she asked as she slid the paper toward him. Sora glanced at it, and then paused.

"What is it?" he asked as he stared at it. Sakura looked back at her drawing and traced it with her fingers.

"Well, what does it look like to you sweetie?" she asked watching him carefully. Sora traced his hands over it as well.

"It looks like the letter d" he said. Sakura heart twisted in her chest at the confirmation. All this time, Sora was remembering the attack. All this time, his mind was trying to make him remember it through is drawings. That must have been why he was constantly drawing the man over and over again. He was never getting it right, because didn't know what that symbol meant.

"It's not a letter in the alphabet, even though it kind of looks like one," she began. "This symbol is a musical note. It's a symbol that represents a certain sound in music," she said. Sora looked up at her then. Sakura placed her hand on his cheek. "Sora, have you seen this symbol before?" she asked.

Sora nodded slowly.

"Where did you see it?" she asked. "It's okay if you don't remember, but if you've seen this before somewhere, then I need to know," she said. Sora didn't speak as he stared at the drawing again. Sakura decided to speak for him. She knew she was asking a lot from a five-year-old, but her son was no ordinary kid.

"Did you see this on someone?" she asked. Sora nodded. "Did you see it on the bad man that broke into our house a long time ago?"

Sora looked up at her startled, before he nodded. Sakura nodded as well before pulling him into her lap and wrapping her arms around him. Sora had gone very quiet. She pulled his drawing before them. "Did he look like this?" she asked. Sora nodded again, and began to cry.

Sakura held onto him tight and rocked him back and forth. "It's okay, you're alight. I'm so sorry baby," she said. "It's going to be okay now," she said. It had to be alright. She finally had a place to start, and she wouldn't waste it.

**…..**

Sakura woke up the next morning feeling like crap. It was never wise to cry yourself to sleep, because you don't wake up feeling any better. If anything, it carries over and shows in under eye bags. She still showered and dressed in her work out attire, as she would be going to the Dojo with Naruto again to let out some steam.

She wore her favorite red tank with the white circle on her back and black athletic pants. She put a black sweater over her tank, as the weather looked as gloomy as she felt. Dark grey clouds covered the sky, threatening rain. The weather predicted a big storm heading their way in the next few days. Looks like it would come sooner.

She proceeded to wake the kids and got them dressed for school before Naruto came and got them. The drive to school was quiet, and Sakura didn't expect anything more. Sora had also cried himself to sleep and was probably feeling as blue as she did.

"We're here," Naruto announced. "See you guys later," he said to the kids.

"Bye Uncle Naruto," Suki said. Sora mumbled a goodbye as Sakura took hold of their hands and walked them to the front entrance.

She looked around constantly, trying to spot any kind of threat. This constant unsettled feeling had eaten away at her until it was in every cell she had; a permanent companion that would not soon go away, if ever.

Suddenly, her father came to mind. She hadn't spoken to him in weeks and a surge of emotion surfaced right then and there.

Was this what it felt like for her father? Never knowing who was coming after your child because of something you did? Never knowing that your children are truly safe? Only now could she understand what he must have felt. If Sakura was in his position, would she have told Sora or Suki about her real life? Would she have wanted them to harbor that fear that came with the truth?

No, she wouldn't have wanted them to live in fear. She would protect them, no matter what. She would have made sure they had a normal childhood, free from worry, just like her father did for her.

She would have done exactly as he did. Thanks to him, she had a regular childhood. She had friends, and memories that would stay with her for the rest of her life, all because of what her father did to protect her.

"Why are you crying Mommy?" Sora asked as they stepped into the school courtyard. Sakura stopped and wiped her eyes, not even having felt the tears as they so regularly appeared nowadays.

"Oh, it's nothing sweetie I just have something in my eye," she said quickly. She knelt down before them before saying "I'll pick you up after school and we'll go out to get some Okonomiyaki for dinner. How does that sound?"

"Good," Suki said. "Can we bring Uncle Itachi? He loves Okonomiyaki," she added in a hopeful voice.

"I'll ask him to join us," Sakura said, not having the first clue as to how she would bear an audience with Itachi, even after this long. She hadn't seen him at all since Sasuke disappeared, and quite frankly, she didn't know how to handle him. Something about his eyes had her on edge. It was like he could see right through her.

She had thought about getting a hold of Itachi to get some information from him. He was Sasuke's older brother and knew him in ways she did not. But she didn't know what his reaction to any of this would be and she was too much of a borderline basket case to handle another emotional punch.

But she couldn't find it in her heart to deny Suki another family member just because of her apprehension. "I didn't know he liked Okonomiyaki," she said, making Suki smile.

"He always gets some for me and draws clouds on it with red chili paste. He says it's his favorite because it's my favorite," Suki said matter-of-factly.

"I see. Then he has good taste, doesn't he Sora?" she asked. Her son only nodded in response, which had her worried. He cried himself to sleep last night, after she spent a good half hour soothing him and telling him he did nothing wrong and that she couldn't have been more proud of him. After she tucked him and Suki in for the night, she cried herself dry and knocked out in her bed. Sleep came easily due to her exhaustion, but her mind supplied her with enough nightmares to keep the battle going, long into the night.

If it wasn't for these two kids, she didn't know how she could have gone on. Sakura knelt down to their level and held their hands. They were so much alike, yet so different when they looked you in the eye. Those big sad eyes made her heart break a little more each day.

"You know how much I love you both?" she asked. They both nodded. "And do you know how strong and brave you are? I'm so proud of you two," she said.

"I know," Sora said.

"Me too," said Suki.

"Well I love you both so much more than you could ever know. Nothing could ever make me love you less," she said smiling at them. "And you know how much your Daddy loves you?" she asked to Suki. "And you as well." She said to Sora. "He loves you both as much as I do. And we need to be strong for him, until he can come back to us,"

"But how do we know when he can come back Aunty Sakura? Because I miss him," Suki said. Sakura placed her hand on her cheek and kissed her forehead as she did so.

"Everything your Daddy is doing is for us. I know it's so hard to be without him, and I know it's hard for him to be away from you. Believe in him Suki, and he will come back. He loves you too much to stay away forever," she said. "In the meantime, you have me and Sora, and Grandma and Grandpa, your Uncle Itachi, Uncle Naruto and Akira and Akio and everyone here," she said.

Suki nodded, but Sakura could see that it was hard for her to go on without him. Sasuke was her entire world. He was the only parent she ever knew.

"He'll come back," Sora said to Suki. Sakura looked at him, surprised at his determined tone. "He's fighting the bad guys, just like the ninja's in the anime. And he'll win because he's the good guy. Then he can come home," he said. Suki nodded and smiled this time. She believed Sora. Her Daddy was a hero and he'll beat all the bad guys before he came home.

Sakura was amazed at their bond. They knew each other so well now, and she knew how they took care of each other. Even now, her son was being brave for Suki when she needed it most.

"He's right," Sakura said. "He will come back, and when he does, he would want to see you happy sweetheart. Try to smile for him. We will see him again soon, I promise," she said. Suki nodded. Sakura pulled them both in for a hug and multiple kisses before she handed them off to Lee, who she could see waiting for them at the entrance.

"Okay. Off to class now," she said releasing them. "I love you both," she said, determined for them to hear it and know it as often as they could.

"Love you too Mommy," said Sora.

"I love you too Aunty Sakura," said Suki before they turned to walk to Lee. When they reached him, they turned to wave at her before going inside. Sakura waved back as she reflected on the promise she made to them. It probably wasn't smart to say something like that, but she had nothing else to give them. She hoped it wouldn't be in vain.

Sakura turned to leave and walked back to the car, where Naruto was waiting.

* * *

**Rock Lee's POV**:

"Alright children, I shall begin by taking roll call. Please respond with all the spirit your youth can muster when you hear your name!" he said saluting them.

Suki giggled every time he did that. Lee had Sora and Suki moved up to the front of the class along with the Nara twins and Jun Inuzuka. All children of CIA operatives were to be closely monitored and protected at all times when their parents were on missions for the agency. The policy went back as far as when the agency began, to ensure that children would not be targeted by vengeful subjects, as well as give their clandestine Agents peace of mind that their offspring are safe.

Lee didn't have any children himself, save for his three infant godchildren, but he took pride in his protection detail services. Children were the future, and Lee put everything into harnessing the power of their youth to help them grow up to be the best they could be.

He felt particularly attached to the five children before him, as they were all children of his closest friends, even Suki Uchiha. Though her father was a fearsome rouge Sound Operative, Lee still saw her as Sakura Haruno's child, and for that, he would protect her with his life.

"Inuzuka Jun!" he called.

"Here!" Jun called. "I'm here" he shouted, over what Lee thought sounded like a puppy barking. When he looked up, he saw that Jun's school coat was moving, before a tiny white furred puppy's head popped out of the middle. Suki and Akira giggled as Jun hastily tried to cover up the pup.

"Inuzuka Jun, unhand that puppy and place him in the corner please until later," Lee said.

"Awwww," Jun whined as he carried the puppy to the box in the corner. Lee recalled Kiba mentioning the other day that Akamaru finally fathered a littler of his own a while back. Judging by the puppy's appearance, he'd say that was definitely Akamaru's pup and Jun snuck him into class. Kiba used to do the same in their Academy days.

Still, Kurenai had called to advise him to keep a box full of puppy food, water and toys in case Jun took after his father in that aspect. It was good advice. After Jun hustled back to his seat, Lee continued with roll.

After that was done, Lee began that day's lesson. He instructed the children to pull out their writing notebooks. The puppy in the corner seemed to behave, only making the occasional noise, but otherwise content in his play box. Today they were going to continue building sentences.

After an hour of workbooks, Lee announced the new assignment.

"Alright class, it is now time to practice our reading skills! Please repeat the sentences as I write them on the board!" he said.

Lee began by writing all of Guy Sensei's rules for a youthful life on the board. The children repeated what they could in a childlike monotone. If anything, they would never forget how to spell the word 'youth' in their lifetime.

Lee had written about five sentences so far. In his enthusiasm, he didn't notice the growing silence of the room as the chants grew fainter. A few seconds more, and the complete silence was broken only by the sound of multiple pencils rolling off of desks and the sound of dropping weight to follow. The puppy let out a string of small barks before going silent. Lee turned around, only to find every child with their heads down on their desks. There was no movement whatsoever.

That's when his watch began beeping. He glanced at the dial and saw the airflow chart indicated a spike in a concentrated substance in the air.

He moved, and before he could make a single step, his legs gave out beneath him, every muscle failing by the second. Lee tried to haul his arm up to signal an alert to the CIA, but his arm wouldn't move anymore.

He grunted as he tried to fight the effects. His voice failed him as the muscles in his throat refused to comply, and his vision was getting darker. Only then did he realize the air was laced with a noxious paralytic. Each breath he took, the darker it became. He managed to rotate his wrist enough so that the floor activated the button on his watch.

He passed out before the operative's voice could reach him, or the alert being passed through the system.

When Lee would later wake, it would be to the same classroom…except for the two empty desks in the front; the raven haired children that occupied them nowhere in sight.

* * *

**Naruto's POV:**

They drove through the pass towards the gym. Naruto enjoyed the change of scenery from the bustling city, to the calm and serene forest and mossy rock incline that lead up to the traditional Japanese style Dojo. The weather was still crappy. Rain threatened to fall as the ominous grey clouds covered the sky.

Sakura rummage through her bag and found her work out gloves. She stuffed them into her pants pocket for later and made sure that her other belongings were in order before wrapping the purse straps around her wrist. Ever since she told her father about the book, she succumbed to the paranoia that he would try to take it from her on the sly, and she wouldn't have put it past him to try. So she kept the book within arm's reach at all times.

She sat back and cast a cautious glance at Naruto. He was his usual self as always: happy, energetic, loyal and playful. She just described a dog, but he just had that play with a puppy feeling going on. He jumped at the chance to take her back to the Dojo, and she would use that time to her advantage.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Naruto asked as they drove up the road. Sakura had been staring at him for almost a minute and it was freaking him out.

"I was thinking," she said as she turned to look out the window. "We don't really know each other that well Naruto. I mean, I've gotten to know you over these past few months, but I don't really know much more other than your love for Ramen,"

"Well what do you want to know?" he asked, weary of her.

"I don't know. Little stuff like where'd you grow up and what kind of music do you like and so on," she said shrugging her shoulders. "I'd like to get to know my sparring partner a bit more before I unleash my fists on you," she said smiling.

Naruto gave a nervous laugh at the thought of her deceitfully small fists. "Uhhh let's see…well I grew up around the Tokyo area for most of my life," he said. "But I've been around different places every now and then," he said keeping his eyes on the winding road.

"That's cool. How's Hinata by the way. I know she was running a fever earlier. Is she okay now?" she asked

"Yeah she recovered from her cold," he said

"Where did you and Hinata meet?" she asked.

"That would be through school," he said with a snicker. "I was a goner the minute it came to lecture and Hinata rescued me there. I always thought she was weirdo cause she would always mumble and turn all red whenever she talked to me, but she was the nicest person," he said. "I was surprised as hell when she told me she liked me," he said, still incredulous to this day; she did confess to him, but she did it while she put herself in harm's way to protect him during a major operation with the Sound Organization. The memory still gave him shivers at how close he came to losing her that day.

"When did you guys get married?" she asked. "You married young, just like I did,"

"Almost two years ago," he said. "We were young, but we didn't want to wait. You never know how long you've got," he said solemnly thinking about her confession again. Hinata really was something.

"What's was the weather like for your wedding? It had to have been better than this" she said indicating the darkening sky. Naruto smiled at the memory.

"Bright and Sunny" he said happily.

"Did you have ramen as the main course," she chuckled.

"You know it. Her father wanted this whole black tie affair crap but I managed to sneak some in" he said chuckling. "Take that you jerk,"

"When did you start eating ramen?" she asked.

"When I had enough teeth as a kid," he said smiling in his dopey manner.

"What's your favorite kind of ramen?" she continued.

"Pork,"

"How often do you eat ramen?" she asked.

"Every day," he replied without shame.

"How long have you been with the CIA?" she asked.

"Thirteen years next month, believe it-" he stopped and gapped in horror as he stared at her.

"…I meant…I… shit!" he cursed as abruptly stepped on the breaks, tires screeching as he did so. Sakura kept looking straight ahead, no signs of emotion on her face. Naruto pulled off to the side of the road and killed the engine. Silence ensued for five full minutes.

It was the longest five minutes of his life. Sakura was deathly still and staring straight ahead.

Naruto was in state of panic. She hadn't looked at him once since he blurted it out, and it was killing him. What excuses could he give? He promised not to tell, but dammit she made him! She used his love of ramen to lower his guard. She set a damn trap and he walked right into it. She fucking made him, and suddenly, Naruto was lost in thought.

Finally, she knew. There was no going back now.

"_Sorry Kakashi Sensei,"_ he thought as he turned to her and took hold of her hand. He took it as a good thing when she didn't cringe or pull away.

"You really are something you know that Sakura?" Naruto asked. When she turned to him, she saw he that he was smiling at her. "Sneaky too," he added with that fox like grin of his. Sakura raised an eyebrow. She expected him to deny it, but not outright come clean. "I'm sorry I kept this from you, but believe me when I say that I wanted to tell you more than anything,"

Sakura searched his eyes and found that she believed him. Somehow she didn't doubt that Naruto wanted to tell her. There was something about him that told her she could trust him with anything, and right now, that was a necessity.

"It took a while…before I realized it shouldn't have taken me while," she said. "I actually blame myself for not realizing sooner,"

"How long have you known?" he asked.

"The first night I confronted my father," she answered "I did a lot of thinking, and that's when some of the pieces came together,"

"Who else have you made?" he asked.

"The list of who I haven't is shorter," she said, dodging the question. Naruto didn't know exactly who she discovered, but he now under why everyone needed to be on their toes. Sakura was smart, and if she could piece together this much, there's no telling what else she could do.

"You've figured me out, and I know you chose now for a reason. So what's up?" he asked. Sakura brought out her purse and put in on her lap.

"That's not all I figured out," she said as she pulled out a few of Sora's drawings.

She handed them to Naruto who flipped through them. "Sora made these?" he asked. Sakura nodded.

"I hadn't noticed that the theme of his drawings had changed since we were attacked in our house all those months ago," she said. "Did you know that I never really got a good look at him? He had me in a choke hold from behind," she said, remembering the way her neck throbbed for days afterwards.

"You can't blame yourself for that," Naruto said. "And anyway, you gave him a pretty good ass-whopping before he left. But what's that got to do with these?"

"I didn't see him…but Sora did," she said. "And this is how he's been dealing with it. I think this is the man that attacked us," she said holding up Sora's most recent drawing. Naruto was startled at her statement. "Do you have any idea of who that may be?" she asked.

"Sakura, are you sure that's what Sora's drawing?" he asked not wanting to reveal that he knew exactly who that man was. If he told her this was Sai's brother, who knows how she might react. Naruto studied the drawing closely, taking in all the details. If what she was saying was true, then they finally had a new lead and a better picture of Sai's brother.

"I asked him about it last night," she said "I made the conclusion myself, but I knew Sora wouldn't have known what he was doing. It's the artist in him. He's only five. I can't expect him to know that his subconscious is trying to make him keep the memory alive,"

"Sakura, this is helpful, and believe me when I say that we'll look into this," he said. "But how can you be sure that this guy is real and not someone Sora just made up in his head?" he asked. "I'm not trying to doubt you, but the agency is going to question everything; it's what they do best,"

Sakura pulled out another piece of folded paper and kept it closed. "I kept thinking that there had to be a connection to me, or someone I knew. When I found out about…all this, I took a lot of time thinking about everything. I felt like a puppet, with a different person pulling each string and making me dance the way they wanted; too many people trying to call the shots in my life. And I kept thinking, with so many people pulling the strings, they had to get tangled up eventually," she said looking at him.

"In the police report, Sora said that the man had a letter on his arm, like a tattoo. That's this mark right here," she said pointing to it on the drawing Naruto held. "Then I read Sai' book, and this was the mark that he really saw, "she said unfolding the piece of paper with the Sound symbol for Naruto to see. When she saw his eyes widen in recognition, Sakura knew he understood. "The tattoo was not a letter, it was a musical note. That's what Sora didn't understand," she said.

"All this…you…," Naruto was amazed at what she had put together.

"I know about the Sound Organization," she said. "I know what it was, who controlled it, and what their operations entailed. I know that my father worked to take it down, I know that Sai infiltrated it for some purpose…and I know that Sasuke was a part of it somehow," she said. "I have three strings, and I don't know which one I pulled to make this all happen,"

"The Sound Organization is after you. Son of a bitch!" he said hitting the steering wheel and marveling at the turn of events.

"I don't know if they're after me specifically or if it's because of something my father or Sai did, but I don't think Sasuke is the reason," she said, making him look at her. "He must have figured some of this out. That must have been why he left. He's trying to fix this somehow,"

"You listen to me Sakura," Naruto said seriously. "Sasuke is on a whole other level than the rest of what you know. We still don't know his agenda, but we know the extent of his capabilities. He's dangerous, and he can't be trusted right now,"

"He's not the one that caused all this," she said.

"You don't know that. I know you care about him; so do I. But Sasuke is one of the CIA's most wanted criminals,"

"Then how come none of you arrested him? If he was so dangerous how come he's been free until now?" she asked.

"That's because we didn't know he was the one we were looking for!" he said. "Eight years ago, the CIA finally located the Sound base and moved in. Your father led the team. We took down the base, but we found that the leader of the Organization was already killed before any of us could get to him,"

"Orochimaru," Sakura said, startling Naruto further. "I know that he was a monster responsible for that organization,"

"Then you know just how powerful and deranged Orochimaru was," he continued. "He had henchmen; operatives that were unlike any you've ever seen. But there was one he had, that was more dangerous than the rest. He trained him to be strong, and powerful, and designed him for one purpose. That notorious Sound Operative was the one that killed Orochimaru in the end,"

"Sasuke," she whispered. "He was planning to kill Sasuke! What was he supposed to do then huh?"

"Sasuke wasn't just a criminal Sakura," Naruto said. "He was a killer! An assassin! And the man that attacked you, we think he might be-"he stopped speaking when a static noise filled the car.

The voice came from out of nowhere.

"_Time is up, my sssweet sssweet Sssssssakura_," it said.

Naruto and Sakura had just enough time to look each other in the eye before the windows and windshield exploded, shattering glass in all directions. Sakura screamed as Naruto instinctively moved to protect her as the shards impacted and smoke began to fill up the interior. But this smoke smelled funny and before he registered what it was, he felt the needle puncture his neck. He reached for the arm that began to retract and clutched it with his fingers, digging his nails into what felt like leather. He heard a scream as his nails broke the material and reached the skin.

A stunning blow to his head made him release the arm. Sakura screamed as he felt her being pulled away from him.

"Naruto! Naru-" Sakura shrieked before a gloved hand wrapped around her mouth and yanked her out of the car. A needle was pressed into her neck, knocking her out in seconds. Naruto reached for his gun, seconds before the paralysis kicked in. As he went down, his eyes barley registered the pink and red blur of Sakura's form begin carried off towards the woods, before he lost consciousness.

**…..**

All he could see was black, before the sudden burst of energy surfaced from deep within his cells, waking him up at light speed. His eyes flew open and his body moved with increased speed. He glanced at the clock and saw that roughly forty-five minutes had passed before he leapt out of the car, heavily aware of Sakura's absence.

The sound of thunder was heard a scant second before the rain began falling in heavily droplets, soaking him within seconds as they fell.

His head was moist with blood seeping out of a cut from the window shards, but he ignored it as he pulled out his gun and called out to her, even though he knew it would be in vain.

"Sakura!" he shouted over the roar of thunder. He tried to activate communication with the base. Where the hell were they? They should have been all over this place after the car exploded, but response time was five minutes, not forty-five. His watch crackled with static as communication as established.

"_Agent Uzumaki, report your location_," came the voice of an operative.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS? Tokyo Forest range, Code Black: My car was rigged and Sakura Haruno was abducted by an unknown source suspected of being in league with rouge sound operatives. Contact the Commander and the team immediately and get out here now!" he shouted. He heard the alert being sent over the interconnected communications system as all the Agents on Sakura's case were alerted.

His nose detected a potent scent in the air, and with it, a sense of cold, dead fear. He smelled smoke, and he turned to see faint wisps of it coming from deep within the forest. It was raining bullets, but still there was no mistaking that particular stench. The rain had extinguished it just now, but he knew what that smell was.

"No," he whispered as he ran toward it. "NO!" he screamed. The watch crackled again as Tsunade's voice came on.

"_Naruto the team is on the way. Report your condition_," she said. "_Naruto!_" she shouted when he wouldn't respond. He ignored her words.

The closer he got, the more detailed the scent became. Something had burned while he was out, and it sure as hell wasn't wood. He ran through the greenery and broke through a patch of trees and froze when he saw the smoking object. The shape was unmistakable. It was a human body, and it was charred beyond recognition. It had been burning until the rain had doused it a minute ago. But when he saw what was melted onto the chest, he fell to his knees with his eyes wide open, and unleashed an animalistic scream into the sky.

There, still recognizable through the dying embers, was a burned circle necklace on her chest.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**Dun dun dun…. Let's just say Adele's 'Set Fire to the Rain' came to mind as I was writing this. To be continued when you shower me with adrenaline fueled reviews! Non-stop unraveling of the secrets to come from now on. **


	34. Momentum

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 34: Momentum**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

The CIA adheres to a certain protocol that goes beyond what is normally known in law enforcement. This was for very specific reasons, as their entire identity is in the shadows. They were to remain focused and emotionally detached from the crisis before them in order to properly execute their mission. But the ties that bind never dissipate, and true to human nature, people bond. The agency was a family, whether they cared to admit it or not.

And when one of their own is in danger, all hell breaks loose.

The site was quarantined from the public, which wasn't hard because it was so secluded and unknown to the general populace. Having someone see the placing crawling with CIA agents wasn't the issue. The issue was having them witness the supernatural phenomenon they were currently trying to contain.

"He's pushing level 4 on the Kyuubi scale," Yamato shouted over the roar of the person before him. There were several Junior Agents present who stood guard and watched the scene, as they had only ever heard about it in rumors. Nothing in their training had ever prepared them for this. The Senior Agents familiar with the situation were on guard. What stood before them, shrouded in a bloody orange glow and seemingly shape shifting his body was Agent Naruto Uzumaki, screaming like a dinosaur on the rampage. It was the most fearsome other-worldly thing they had ever seen.

"Naruto!" Hinata shouted as Neji held her back. "Let me go to him!" she screamed. When she found out about what had happened, she rushed over with the other Agents only to find Naruto in the Kyuubi state.

"Let Yamato subdue him Hinata. He can kill you at this stage!" Neji said over her shouts. Yamato glanced at the fear stricken Hinata before looking at his palm indicator. The number had stayed at 4 and had not risen in the last five minutes, which was good. He was injured after all, which may actually save them at this point.

"Increasing Wood Release Flow," Yamato said as he upped the power on the specialized wooden planks that currently held the mutating Naruto in a bind. Naruto released more feral growls into the sky, making Hinata shriek with grief at the sight of him in such agony. "He won't last much longer in this state. Response team stand by on the ready," Yamato ordered.

After thirty seconds, Yamato checked his palm reader once more and saw the number start to drop. As it did, the glow around Naruto began to recede, and his screams became less wild and more human. The Agents that were trained to handle this event stood by and were ready to bind and sedate Naruto before he relapsed. Yamato, Jiraya, Kakashi and Asuma were the only agents that knew how.

Shikamaru stood with them, using this chance to observe and learn the containment procedure for the future.

When the glow subsided completely, Naruto slumped to the rain soaked ground, still bound in the wood binds. Hinata yanked herself free from Neji and ran over to him, dodging the four Senior Agents that tried to stop her.

"Naruto! Naruto open your eyes please!" she screamed as she held his face in her hands, the thick wood binds blocking him from her completely. "Get these off of him!" she yelled to Yamato. He complied and pulled the wood binds back, allowing Naruto to fall against Hinata instead of the muddy ground.

"Hinata get away from him he's still unstable!" Neji said moving toward her.

"No! Naruto," she pleaded as she hovered over him. "Please wake up, open your eyes I need to see your eyes!" she said as she smoothed out his hair and cradled his face in her hands. His eyes opened abruptly as his hands grabbed her by the arms and pushed her back onto the ground. The Agents around them sprang into action but were stopped when she shouted at them.

"Stay back!" she said. "Naruto, it's okay, it's Hinata," she said to his startled red eyes. His fingers were digging into her arms but she didn't care. Slowly, his eyes became less red and clouded as he focused on her face before him. Hinata knew he was back to normal when she saw the cerulean blue orbs she loved so much staring back at her.

"H...Hinata..," he said before realization hit and he jumped off her in shock. Hinata rose to sit and launched herself into his arms, sobbing as she did so. Naruto wrapped her in his arms and held her close; fear, shock and remorse infiltrating his system at what had happened. He looked around and saw nearly everyone around them, including Yamato. If he was here, then that meant he had had a relapse.

"Naruto, we need to examine you," Yamato said, not needing to explain what he meant, nor trying to console Naruto about it. He knew Naruto was back to normal now, but he still needed his levels to be checked.

"I lost it again, didn't I?" he asked, even though he knew the answer. He looked down at Hinata. "I…I almost…"

"You're back, and that's all that matters now," Hinata sobbed. Naruto pulled her back to look at her tear streaked face. He almost hurt her. He almost lost complete control of his body.

"I'm so sorry Hinata," he said before she wrapped herself around him once more. She clung to him as relief washed over her. She had seen Naruto relapse before, but it had been nearly five years since the last episode. Judging by what had occurred earlier today, she wasn't surprised it triggered his condition.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You're okay," she said. Naruto kissed her before getting to his feet. Hinata helped him stand as he took in his surroundings. There was noticeable damaged that was obviously done by him. For one thing, and entire line of trees were knocked down at their base.

"How long was I like that?" He asked as he caught Yamato's gaze.

"A little more than twenty minutes," Yamato replied. "Not surprising considering how long it's been dormant," he added. Naruto nodded before his eyes registered the car, and the events that triggered the relapse came flooding back to his mind. Yamato was prepared for him to recall the events and cut his trail of thoughts before another episode could ensue.

"That body was not Sakura Haruno. She's still alive Naruto," Yamato stated.

"What do you mean it wasn't her?" Naruto shouted.

"We have confirmation that the burned body you saw in the woods was not that of Sakura Haruno," Yamato repeated. "Tsunade is still trying to identify the victim, but she knew right away it wasn't Sakura. The corpse was too tall to be her and showed signs of childhood injuries that Sakura did not possess. It was a decoy, Naruto and it worked," he said, watching the emotions play out on his face.

The relief was short lived as the next worst truth took over. "Then that means that that bastard has her," Naruto said. "Why the hell did it take so long for you guys to get here? Where's Kakashi Sensei?"

"Right here Naruto," Kakashi said as he made his way over to him. "There's a lot we need to discuss, but you need to go and get checked out," he said, oddly calm considering his greatest nightmare was in motion.

"The hell I do!" Naruto exclaimed. "Sakura was kidnapped on my watch! No way in hell we're wasting any more time!"

"First we need you to get examined," Kakashi said. Naruto was struck by how controlled Kakashi was when he was a complete wreck.

"Naruto," Yamato said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you want to help us, do what we say and get examined. The rest of the team is out trying to locate Sakura," he said. Naruto continued to look at Kakashi, unable to say the words as an immense guilt consumed him. Kakashi's calm demeanor didn't help matters. If anything, Naruto would have welcomed a punch to the gut for what he let happen at the very least.

"Do not mistake our control for anything other than necessity," Yamato said. "We are just as determined to get her back, but to do so we need you fully functioning," he said. Naruto was anxious and still reeling from the Kyuubi outburst. But the memories came flooding back to him like a storm.

"She figured it out," he whispered to the confused trio. "Sakura figured out who was behind all of this. It's the Sound Organization!" he said. Kakashi didn't show any outward reaction other than his eyes narrowing.

"What?" he asked. Naruto thought back to their conversation in the car, right before everything went to hell. Sakura figured some things out and confided in him.

"Sakura figured out that I was CIA," he said. "She told me she knew for a while and she chose today to confront me about it, but only because she needed my help. She said Sora had been subconsciously drawing the man that attacked them: Sai's brother. She had the drawings to prove it and believe me they prove it,"

"How do they prove it? How could Sakura possibly know how to connect him to Sound?" Yamato asked.

"Sai's book," Kakashi answered. "That had to be it. She wouldn't let me take it from her and something in there had to lay it all out there for her," he said. Yamato looked surprised.

"Sai left evidence behind?" he asked "How's that possible? We searched everywhere and eliminated all traces of his life here,"

"Well he found a way, intentional or not," Kakashi stated before looking at Naruto "Go get checked out Naruto, before we lose any more time. We know where to start looking now," he said as Naruto was ushered away by lab techs and Agents alike. Yamato stayed behind, a grave expression on his face.

"Kakashi, Sai was working for ROOT before the protection detail, and we still don't know when that ended, if ever," Yamato said. "His death was under mysterious circumstances and not even Tsunade could determine the cause. The last mission he had was protection detail that ended with Sakura

"Sai's involved more now than he ever was," Kakashi said. "He's tied to this somehow, but we just don't know where to start,"

"We start laying out all the pieces," Shikamaru said as he approached them. "Itachi and the Akatsuki division have been investigating Sai's death for a few months now. I've been helping out and I think we have enough to at least try to piece things together. But you've got to let Itachi in on the investigation. Whether he aided Sasuke is escaping isn't as important right now,"

"When has anyone ever been able to stop Itachi?" Kakashi asked wistfully "Get all the files he's been working on and start analyzing them. The rest of the unit is to begin tracing all former Sound bases as well as operatives thought to be dead. What's left of the former Sound Organization has started up again,"

Shikamaru nodded and turned to leave.

Kakashi watched him go, and turned to evaluate the scene. The car was swept top to bottom by the lab techs, allowing them to confirm a few things. Drops of Sakura's blood stained the car, enough to show that she at least had minor injuries most probably sustained from the broken glass. She was alive for now; that much they knew.

This bastard wouldn't have taunted her for as long as he did only to end it so abruptly. What frightened him about it was that he definitely had something in store for her. But the thing that capped him the most, that he refrained from telling Naruto, was that the children were missing too.

Kakashi was far from calm. He was destroyed.

* * *

**Mystery dude 2's POV:**

He kept thinking that all it took to fool the CIA was a simple waiting game. Now that Yuhei Kurenai was indisposed due to her pregnancy, he was able to manipulate the security system and bypass the Agents with a simply paralytic; child's play really.

Taking the kids was almost too easy. He expected more from the CIA, and was almost disappointed in the lack of a challenge. This was his second attempt at kidnapping, and this time he got off scot free. It was a good thing those kids were as young as they were and lightweight. Carrying them through the underground sewer system would have been hell otherwise. They were now contained in the biogenetics department to be fully assessed by the lab rats.

He willed himself not to feel anything at the sight of the two kids as he handed them off to the lab. It came as a surprise that the boy was not an Uchiha, as he looked more like it than the girl. But even so, there was something about the boy that bothered him. He couldn't place this feeling, but it was more like he looked familiar to him. Shaking it off as nonsense, he looked on at the girl.

This one looked more like that Haruno woman than her real mother, which made it easier to feel nothing toward her. Innocent child or not, she was still the reason Aya was dead.

"We're about to being the assessment. Leave the lab," one of the lab rats said to him. He looked at them, daring them to make him move, as he saw no reason why he couldn't be present for this. He was still curious to know exactly what Kabuto planned to do to them.

"Bosses orders," another one said. He noticed none of the other techs were beginning to work. They wanted him gone alright. That didn't settle well with him. He glanced at the two kids, who were still knocked out from the paralytic. He didn't care, he wouldn't care. Without another word he turned and walked out with the image of the two kids on the forefront of his mind.

* * *

**Sakura's POV**:

She was cold. That was the first thing she realized as she began to feel the things around her. She was laying down on something flat, and cold. She heard a familiar rhythmic beeping sound somewhere near her. She tried to move, and found that her arms were bound beside her in familiar hospital restraints. Something was wrapped around her index finger with a wire going up the length of her arm. She groaned as she tried moving her legs. Those weren't in restraints, but what she did notice was that they were bare.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a large stone wall. The room was dimly lit with candles, and smelled heavily of antiseptic. It looked like some kind of stone dungeon, but smelled like a hospital. She tried to get up, but only got far enough to see that her clothes were gone, and replaced with a garment that brought all kinds of nightmares back to the surface.

She was wearing her white silk nightgown; the one she had lost months ago after the attack.

"Oh my…," she whispered as realization hit her full force.

"Oh my indeed, Sssakura," came a voice that made her jump. She turned to see a figure surrounded by shadows in the doorway. He was wearing a hood, so she could only see the shape of him. "I've waited so long to sssee you," he said, his serpentine voice making her skin crawl.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked, summoning up all her strength and yanking at the restraints. She turned her head to the side to see the thing on her finger was a heart rate monitor. She realized she was still drugged. The throbbing in her neck and the spinning in her head told her as much. She gasped when she felt the bed begin to rise as she was gradually lifted to a standing position, her feet touching the ground.

"You fill that out so nicely," he said indication her gown. "So much better than what I had imagined you would look like," he said still hovering by the doorway. Sakura took time to breath evenly and try to get some semblance of stability. Things were still spinning and nausea was making itself known. Whatever he laced her with was strong and didn't agree with her.

"I told him to be careful with you," he said mostly to himself when he saw just how disoriented she was. He began to approach her. Sakura didn't know if it was the drugs, but something about the way he moved was unnatural. The fact that he was completely cloaked like the grim reaper didn't help.

"Stay away from me," she huffed, making him stop.

"I have stayed away from you," he said. "…for far too long. I couldn't contain myself anymore Sakura. I had to have you, now more than ever. It's the perfect time," he said as he stood a mere two feet before her.

She couldn't see his face as the room was too dark, but she could certainly smell him. He smelled like blood mixed with rubbing alcohol and formaldehyde; a scent combination she knew all too well in the hospital setting. She forced herself to hold the fear.

"Who are you?" she asked quietly. That seemed to make him stir.

"… You know me," he said, his voice sounding like a smirk. "You've always known me. When I first saw you all those years ago, I knew you were the one. But you never saw me, not really," he said walking toward the side of the room.

"That doesn't answer my question," Sakura said.

"Oh but it wouldn't be fun if I didn't let you figure it out on your own," he said circling her like a shark. "I never dreamed that this would be how we met once more, but everything worked out so perfectly,"

"I won't play this game with you," she said making him stop before her. He was dangerously close and his scent was overwhelming. Sakura fought the urge to vomit as she forced herself to look at him. His head tilted upward ever so slightly.

The light from the candles caught on a reflective surface on his face, but it was that familiar upward tilt of the glasses with his fingers that made Sakura gasp in shock as the light released, and Kabuto's eyes stared right back at her.

"The game's over, and now it's time to collect my prize," he said.

* * *

**CIA BASE:** **Tsunade POV**:

To her credit, she didn't flinch when she saw the corpse for the first time. Shizune documented all the findings as she and Tsunade swept through the body head to toe. Tsunade knew instantly from the height of the body that it wasn't Sakura.

That was the only thing that saved her sanity. Knowing that it wasn't the girl she had thought of as a daughter made working possible, but she still couldn't help but pity the person. It was a female, about Sakura's age. The only good thing Tsunade could understand from the body was that she was burned after she was dead. At least she didn't suffer that, but there were other injuries. Someone had played crazed surgeon with this person. There was evidence in the bones of multiple procedures done in the chest and pelvic region, as well as the eye sockets.

The necklace she was found with was taken to the lab to be analyzed.

The sound of the door opening caught her attention as Anko Mitarashi made her way over. She took one look at the corpse and stilled only for a brief second before proceeding.

"What is it Anko? Have they found anything on that necklace?" Shizune asked.

"Shino is still analyzing the data," Anko answered "Have you determined anything from the victim?" she asked, trying not to let the smell get to her.

"Yes," Tsunade said as she moved the beeping computer. "Preliminary testing suggested that this woman was held in captivity for quite a while. That got me thinking and I compared her findings against the list of people that have gone missing lately and I have several possible matches. She could have been one of these people, but we'll have to identify her first to be sure,"

"Are you saying that whoever took Sakura is responsible for the mass disappearances?" Anko asked.

"That's not all they were responsible for," Tsunade said as she gathered the lab work together "Inform Kakashi that we have new information. This just got uglier than it already is,"

* * *

**Naruto's POV:**

After he was analyzed and declared stable, Naruto joined the entire team to be briefed on what they had found. Everyone was there.

Granny Tsunade stood beside Kakashi at the front of the room. Gaara, Temari and Kankuro came and stood at the side of the room. Asuma and Kurenai were present along with Anko, Shizune, Guy, Yamato and Danzo from ROOT.

The rest of the team included Neji, Lee, Tenten, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji. Naruto took his seat at waited.

"The clock is ticking and we don't know how much time we have left, so listen up!" Tsunade ordered as she grabbed everyone's attention. "At 9:00 AM this morning, Sora Arisugaki and Suki Uchiha were abducted at Konoha Leaf Academy. The use of an airborne paralytic rendered offensive maneuvers useless, as all security was subdued allowing the suspect entrance,"

"It was my fault they children were taken," Lee said dejectedly. "If only I had noticed the level of silence in the classroom sooner,"

"Placing the blame on you will not help matters Lee," Kakashi said.

"This opponent is not to be taken lightly," Tsunade said "The execution of the paralytic was done in a way where you wouldn't have noticed it until it was too late; exactly as they had intended. You were all sitting ducks,"

"How did he manage to bypass the security system at the academy?" Kurenai asked. "I set it up myself. No one can spot where I placed the detectors and the illusions are spot on,"

"Unfortunately those require maintenance and no one is on par with you in that department," Kakashi said. "This isn't on you as well Kurenai. You've had your hands full lately," he added, casting a look in Anko's direction.

"No one here is to blame for anything," Tsunade said firmly. "We are dealing with one slimy son of a bitch here and we will find out who he is. Now pay attention to the rest of the timeline. At five minutes to 10:00 AM this morning, Sakura Haruno was abducted on the way to the Dojo in the mountains with the use of an explosion. The Base was unaware of this act for forty-five minutes, meaning communication was tampered somehow. Naruto," she said gaining his attention. "I want you to tell us exactly what happened right before she was taken,"

Naruto looked around the room of people determined to get Sakura back.

"She totally blindsided me," Naruto began remembering the way she so cleverly got him to confess. "She figured out I was CIA. As a matter of fact, I think she figured out most of us," he said looking around. "She wouldn't tell me who else she knew of, but she confronted me first, and she did it for a reason,"

"And what reason is that?" Tsunade asked.

"She showed me a bunch of drawings Sora made over the past few weeks. It was the same character over and over again with a symbol on his arm. Sora said the man that attacked them had a 'd' shaped tattoo on his arm, but when Sakura found Sai's book, she figured out that it was the that musical note thing that Sound used as their symbol. Sai's bastard of a brother is with that Organization," he said creating a stir within the room.

"How can that be proven?" Danzo asked. "You've no other evidence than the doodles of a child. Where is the book you claim Sai had hidden in his home?" he asked.

"It's missing," Kakashi said. "Sakura had it with her at all times, mainly so that I wouldn't take it away," he said remembering how her trust in him was completely destroyed. "But we have to assume that it's in the possession of her abductor. That book holds a lot of secrets of the organization and who knows what else. No one but Sakura and Sai knows what's in that book,"

"This guys' has been after Sakura for months now," Shikamaru said. "Whoever he is, he's got something planned for her, that's for sure. But why take the kids? What does he get from them?"

That was the question no one wanted to answer.

"Maybe it was a way to lure her in if his initial plan failed," Tenten said. "She's a mother to both of them and I have no doubts that if he contacted her using them as bait, she wouldn't hesitate to go after him,"

"Yes, but he didn't try to lure her anywhere," Shikamaru countered. "He ambushed her at approximately the same time the children were taken. Kind of defeats the purpose,"

"Unless he planned to use them to make her cooperate," Ino said. "He has all three of them now and he wants them for something. What if taking the kids was a way to make her do what he wants or risk harm to them?"

Tsunade had no time to hesitate. What she theorized would shock them all, but she knew it had to be said. "Sakura is still alive, and I think I know why," she said pointing the holograph showing the information she composed from the autopsy of the corpse. "The body we found in the woods told me a lot. She was more than just a decoy,"

"How do you suppose that?" Kakashi asked.

"This woman is identified as one of the missing people from the country. She was reported missing about a year ago. The autopsy shows that she underwent multiple surgical procedures to the brain and pelvis. Lab works show that she was pregnant at one point, but delivered by botched cesarean," she said. "It's probably what killed her. She wasn't burned alive,"

"She was pregnant when she was abducted?" Tenten asked horrified.

"All types of people were reported missing, but she was not known to be pregnant upon disappearing. She was either too early to tell, or it happened after her abduction. I'm still running lab work and a DNA scan to determine more, but she already tells us a lot. Whoever took Sakura is skilled with medics," she said

"So he's some kind of Doctor?" Shikamaru asked.

"Or someone with a Medical background," she said. "The cuts on the body indicate a lobotomy and a cesarean cut; things only someone with medical training can accomplish. Some form of manipulation was going on here. The fact that the spectrum of bodies includes all types just makes his true objective unclear, but he plans to use her for something and I have no doubt he intends to do her physical harm, intentional or not," Tsunade said.

None of them wanted to hear it, but they couldn't deny that that was the most likely scenario. Kakashi was reaching his breaking point. Everyone in the room could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.

"What do you have on the necklace?" Kakashi asked. Shino stood and walked to the front of the group.

"The findings were odd. I had to run tests twice to make sure of what I found. The necklace was made out of real diamonds but I found two sets of tracking devices planted on it," he said.

"What do you mean?" Tsunade asked.

"I mean there are two devices that are sending signals to two separate receivers. They are completely independent of each other, and placed at different times. Leaving the necklace on a burning body was meant to convince Naruto that is was Sakura Haruno, but I'm sure the perpetrator also wanted to destroy the evidence of the tracking device. Because the necklace was burned, only one device on the necklace was salvageable," he said pulling up some of their findings.

"According to the timeline, Sasuke gave it to her a few months ago," Shino continued. "One of these signals must go to him. The other one was placed more recently, but disguised as a diamond itself," he said pulling up an image of a diamond. "It was a small device that was coated with diamond dust. It looks just like the real thing, but lucky for us, it's the diamond dust that protected the device from burning. We're trying to extract where the signal was being sent, but it will take a bit more time,"

"How much time?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm not certain. It depends on how accessible the information from the device will be," Shino said. "But keep in mind that there is no way of knowing if this surviving transmission is from Sasuke or the perpetrator. Once we find where the signal is going, we follow it and see who it leads us to,"

"Hold on," Neji said. "If this perpetrator wanted Sakura, I can understand why he would want to track her. But why would Sasuke do the same thing? And wouldn't he have noticed any interference if a second device was planted alongside his?"

"No," Shino answered. "Both devices are immune to interference, which is why both Sasuke and the perp were unaware of the act,"

"It still doesn't answer why Sasuke wanted to track her movements," Shikamaru said. "We don't know what made him do it in the first place,"

The questioning looks from everyone made Naruto want to laugh.

"Are you kidding me?" Naruto said. "It's because he's in love with her! I know none of you want to believe that there's any good in him, but he loves Sakura and left to protect her. I know you all saw how he changed when she showed up. He must have found something that can solve all this. That's the main reason he left,"

"And are you sure it wasn't because I finally figured out who he was?" Anko asked. "It's too much of a coincidence that the moment I find out, he's on the run,"

"I don't know how he escaped, but he's human just like the rest of us, and he's in love with her," Naruto said.

"Deciding the fate of an assassin is not determined by his supposed love," Danzo said. "His crimes speak for themselves,"

"Love makes people do crazy things," Naruto said. "So he tracked her. He knows who he is, and he knows we were all out to get him. He probably didn't even know the CIA was right under his nose until someone tipped him off. Heck, we didn't even know he was one of our most wanted, so no one's to blame here" he said noting how it still touched a nerve with most of them for being so blind to his identity.

"The point is," he continued "If he was going to protect her he couldn't afford to get arrested, so he disappeared. But I can bet that he's not just sitting around. Sasuke is after this guy, and he's got a bigger reason to protect her than the rest of us. Sakura's your daughter," he said to Kakashi. "And she's our friend but to Sasuke, she's the love of his life; something he never had before. And like I said, love makes people do crazy things. If he gets to this guy before us, then it's going to be just like Orochimaru all over again. We'll find him dead,"

"That's if you find him," Danzo said. "And who's to say that Uchiha will stick around after that? The price for his actions is his own life. You forget that he is responsible for countless crimes against the nation in the name of the Sound Organization,"

"I know Sasuke, and so do the rest of you," Naruto said. "He's our friend and a changed man. We all noticed it years ago but we didn't know what he changed from. He's not a Sound Operative anymore. He even killed Orochimaru and stopped everything before we did. That has to mean something!"

"Your friendship means nothing in terms of his sentencing," Danzo stated. "We will not ignore his past crimes,"

"We are all aware of the repercussions he faces," Tsunade said. "But our main priority now is finding Sakura and the children and finding out who is responsible for putting the nation in a panic for who knows how many lives," she said. "Shino get back to work on tracing the signal from the device. I don't care who it leads to so long as we have something. Shikamaru, keep investigating Sai and all possible ways he and that brother of his can be involved. The sooner we figure that out, the sooner we have a reason for all this madness. Shizune and I will continue to evaluate the body found in the woods. In the meantime, the rest of you are to go through Sakura's history and narrow down possible suspects that went to the same university, had the same classes or just had any possibility of coming across her. Whoever this guy is, I'll bet he found her in medical school and became fixated on her. Now that he finally has her and the children, time is running out. MOVE!" she barked.

Everyone dispersed heading toward their assignments. Naruto saw Kakashi staring at the information laid out on the table, his fists clenched tightly on his sides. He couldn't imagine what was going through Kakashi's mind at the moment. His worst nightmare had come to life, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it.

He saw Anko go to him and say something he couldn't make out. Whatever she said made Kakashi turn to her and give as much of a hopeful expression that he was capable of at the moment, before placing his hands on her rounded abdomen. It was weird seeing them as expectant parents, but even in the midst of all this chaos, they still had something to hope for. The next generation was getting started, and it wouldn't have been possible without love, even in the most impossible of times.

Love really did make people do crazy things. And maybe…just maybe….

"Naruto," Hinata said when she saw him lost in thought. "We need to get back and help with the analysis," she said. Naruto snapped out of it.

"I'll be there in a bit," Naruto said. "There something I need to do first," he said before giving her a kiss and running in the opposite direction. Hinata watched him go, and trusted that he would be okay. She just hoped he wouldn't get out of control like before.

* * *

**Sakura's POV**:

She couldn't believe it. His face was still in the shadows, but the eyes behind the lenses that stared back at her were otherworldly. He was unmistakable.

"Kabuto Yakushi…it's you?" she asked. "Wh..what did you…what are you…" she was so overwhelmed, so confused, and so shocked at this discovery that it seemed like the drugs in her system were about to send her into overdrive.

"Shocked are you?" Kabuto asked. "I'm not surprised. You'd all but forgotten me after you graduated, but I hadn't forgotten you. Try not to move around so much. The sedative doesn't seem to be agreeing with you and I don't want your blood pressure spiking any more than it already is,"

Sakura could hear the monitor change decibels as her heart changed pace. Her body was under a lot of stress, but barely able to move due to the sedative and who knows what else he laced her with. If she wasn't careful she might pass out and the last thing she needed was to lose consciousness around him.

"What did you do to yourself?" she asked, still startled at his almost inhuman appearance.

"I'll explain all that in time," he answered.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. Kabuto began circling her again. It made her nervous every time he was behind her, because she couldn't see what he was doing.

"I know that was probably the biggest question you had, right next to _who_ was doing it," he said. "But I believe the correct question is why am I doing this to _you_? You see Sakura," he said as he continued to pace. "Ever since I was a child, I had been gifted with the ability to excel at biological sciences. I thought science shouldn't be limited to keeping humans alive, but to improve the race. Take the DNA apart and create super humans, that had no flaws and abilities that would place us at the top. Not many people recognized that ability or shared my views, and I was all but left for dead after a freak accident destroyed my life. But there was one person, who recognized my abilities and decided to harness my mind to serve a greater purpose. His name was-"

"Orochimaru," she finished. Even drugged, she knew that was the only person who would share such views. Kabuto didn't seem surprised that she knew which bothered her even more.

"Yes. Lord Orochimaru was a brilliant scientist, but he was more than that. He was a visionary. People feared his brilliance, and they tried to destroy him, but he outsmarted them. He would not stop his work, not matter what. I helped him get away and set up somewhere else. He accomplished many great things but was destroyed far too soon; just before his ultimate goal could be accomplished,"

"Eternal life didn't pan out well for him then," she said. "After what he did to all those people, he got what he deserved," she said. Kabuto only smirked at her.

"He would have succeeded, had it not been for a pest that ruined everything," he said.

"Sasuke," she said. Kabuto shook his head, confusing her.

"Now that's where you're wrong," he said. "I must say it was shocking to see him back at that Gala with you. With all my research abroad, I hadn't had the power to locate his whereabouts or see what he was up to. And then, I saw his name on the registrar, along with you. I couldn't believe my luck. I had you, and the Uchiha together in one place, but you were together in more ways than one, weren't you? I even sent you a nice card and a rose as well, which I'm sure you mistook for Uchiha's. I looked into you both more and that's when I learned you were not married. You played along nicely I must say. It certainly was convincing,"

Sakura could feel his resentment and only then did she remember Sasuke's words about obsession.

_"The jump from stalking to killing isn't a long one. It's all about the stages of obsession. He may think you're perfect right now, but you're going to do something that will disappoint him eventually. And when that time comes, when he realized that you're not as perfect as he might have thought you were, he'll react"_

"No matter," Kabuto said. "He didn't even recognize me at the gala because I never made myself known to him while he was with the Sound Organization. He must have thought the CIA took care of everyone else, which they did, save for me. I knew we couldn't trust him. Sasuke was indeed the strongest, most lethal operative we ever had as well as the perfect vessel. But before he destroyed everything, there was _another_ pest that interfered with our plans and was swiftly taken care of. I believe you know him as well. He went by the name of Sai,"

Sakura stilled. The swimming sensation in her head continued, but Sai's name coming from his lips did something to her.

"Yes, your '_real_' husband" he said mockingly. "Did you know your Sai was something along the lines of an executioner? He may have been CIA, but I'll bet you didn't know they have their own set of assassins. And you welcomed him with open arms. Now there's an ironic pair if I've ever seen one; a doctor, and a killer. You seem to have a distinct attraction to death, regardless of your oath to save lives" he said, circling her once more.

Sakura was frozen in place; the only indication of life coming from her was the beeping monitor.

"Sasuke was the greatest threat to the CIA," Kabuto continued "So how do you kill a killer? Easy, send another killer, and they sent your Sai. Your father's organization sent your husband to kill the man you now love, and you know how that turned out don't you?" he asked.

Sakura found clarity at this point. The drugs still left her weak and disoriented, but her mind wasn't able to ignore what he was telling her. Slowly, her fingers began to flex.

"So why am I doing this to you?" he continued. "Because every which way I turned, you were right in the middle of this. You are the only woman with skills that can match my own. There is no one that can compare to you. I chose you to serve in a much greater purpose. You're everything I need" he said.

"And what exactly do you need from me?" she asked quietly. Kabuto's gaze lingered down her body before meeting her eyes again.

"I need Orochimaru's cells. I've tried harvesting them myself, but the effects were not what I had hoped," he said looking down his appearance. "Now I must create a new body. His curse mark fused his cells with the user, and it was for this purpose I was seeking out a former carrier,"

"But I'm not a carrier," she said looking at him as thoroughly as she could.

"No but someone you know certainly is," he replied.

"Sasuke," she said, but was surprised when he shook his head again.

"Sasuke was not my first choice, as I didn't want to handle more than I could at the time. Though if I'm being completely honest, I had no idea that Sasuke Uchiha was the man Orochimaru had recruited all those years ago. He didn't seem to trust me with the identity of his next vessel, and he was right not to. But that is beside the point," he said looking at her in a way that was almost mocking.

"Uchiha wasn't my first choice, because there was one other carrier, much less of a hassle to obtain, but currently indisposed. You may know her. Your father certainly does," he said confusing across her face. "Anko Mitarashi was the first surviving carrier of the mark,"

Anko, her father's secretary? But wait, that was a ruse, so she was really an Agent. Sakura practically forgot about the woman until now.

"The CIA seems to have gotten its grasps on anyone they could, even her. Your father certainly took great pains to protect her, even going so far as to seal away her cursed mark. Did you really think you were the only one he kept tabs on? You may be his child, but you're not about to be the only one," he said.

Sakura was beginning to get more confused. It was so much to take in and she was getting more discombobulated by the minute. Her confused face amused him all the more.

"He didn't tell you? My my my, the things your dear father doesn't let you know. Anko will not due for my plans any longer, as she is carrying your father's child," he said making her gasp. "Though the thought of a child with both the cursed mark genes fathered by a Sharingan user appealed to me, it was not through a true Uchiha that it came about. But, as the saying goes, if you want something done right, do it yourself," he said walking toward her.

It took everything she had not to flinch when he stood not a foot away from her. The damned gown didn't help matters. His yellow serpentine eyes swept over her body from head to toe. Just a little closer and she could head-but the shit out of him and put her forehead to use for once. But that still left her chained to a wall.

"How does it feel, knowing that your father has another heir on the way and didn't even bother to tell you?" he asked in a mocking tone. She knew he was trying to get a reaction out of her, and she wouldn't budge. "I can imagine your frustration. This is not how I wanted to go about this Sakura, but you left me no choice. I can't wait anymore,"

"So what do you WANT WITH ME?" she shouted trying to shake her chains loose. He didn't even flinch at her shouting. "Dammit you played with me for almost a year so you better tell me what the hell you plan on doing!"

"You've done half the work for me. You gave me raw materials," he said turning the monitor on and showing her the sight that made her heart stop. The two little bodies that lay on the exam table sent her heart into overdrive. Sora and Suki, he had Sora and Suki!

"NO!" she screamed. "What did you do to them you bastard!" she screamed while shaking her restraints. Both of the kids were hooked up to monitors and IV's with a large machine between them.

"I'm testing their blood. It was quite a shock to me when I realized they weren't actual siblings. The resemblance was uncanny. It presented another problem. One the one hand, you have a true Uchiha, born with both the genes of the Sharingan and the cursed mark, only the carrier is a girl. I need the strength of a boy," he said.

"You see, my body is no longer usable. I'll do what Lord Orochimaru could not. I'll transplant myself, with his DNA, into a new vessel. If this transfer of DNA doesn't work on your son then we will proceed with plan B: make another boy. That's where you come in, my sweet," he said giving her the most sinister of smiles making her want vomit. "I wouldn't have anyone less than you carry Lord Orochimaru's perfect vessel of a child,"

"YOU SICK BASTARD!" Sakura said shaking her restraints again but to no avail. The drugs were still in her system making it impossible. The restraints were beginning to dig into her wrists, making her bleed. The atrocity, the insanity of his mind was unbearable. He was plain crazy and she knew none of this would work. There was no such thing as body transfer.

Kabuto held her down. The sensation of his cold scaly hands on her skin sent her in a rage. She reared her head back as much as she could and thrust it forward, catching him in the head making him fall back in rage.

Sakura continued to thrash before a needle was inserted into her arm making her still and loose consciousness. Kabuto got off the floor, wiping the blood from his forehead.

"Feisty one isn't she? And clever, getting me to rant and rave like an idiot" he said to his minion, who was currently checking for bleeding on Sakura's forehead. "She has that effect on me I suppose. Prep her for the lab. There's still work to be done," he said.

* * *

**Tokyo Forest Range-Abduction site**:

When the signal disappeared, he thought his heart might stop. The rage he felt when he learned just who was responsible for all this burned inside him until he feared losing complete control. Sasuke approached the woody are where the signal abruptly stopped eight hours ago. Some serious damage was done here, and he had no idea what it could have been. There was evidence of an explosion, and something else he couldn't place. But there was one thing for sure.

He wasn't alone.

He could feel the presence behind him, and he knew who it was. He didn't expect anything less of him, given who he was.

He stayed still as the figure approached from out of the woods behind him.

"Somehow I just knew you would show up here…Teme," Naruto said to the man before him. When he turned, Naruto got the first glimpse of the real Sasuke. Cloaked in black with a sword on his side, Sasuke turned until he faced him, eyes ablaze with his Sharingan.

Naruto had only seen the Sharingan one other time in Kakashi sensei. But Sasuke, with full-fledged Sharingan was something else. But it was the rage behind the eyes that was the most frightening. Lethal didn't even begin to describe how Sasuke looked right now.

Sasuke took in the sight of Naruto in his real colors. Dressed in his gear, Naruto was dressed in all black combat attire with an orange overcoat, and a gun that screamed CIA. His blue eyes showed his intent to confront him.

Naruto didn't know what he wanted to do more. Clobber his ass or just shoot him first. After everything he did, the real bastard was here. Sasuke actually had the gall to smirk at him.

"Dobe" he said. The seconds of eye contact between the two spoke volumes for them.

They both moved in the blink of an eye. Naruto surged forward, gun raised before him as Sasuke pulled out his Katana. The shine of the blade from the moonlight gave off enough reflection to block his advance for a split second, but Naruto was at the ready.

Sword clashed with gun in a metallic force that reverberated throughout the forest. They pushed against the force of impact, each going in the opposite direction of their starting point. A mere second had gone by.

They stood facing apart from each other. Naruto felt the small trick of blood coming off his right cheek. The cut was barely a scratch, but it made its point.

Sasuke didn't feel the similar cut on his left temple, but he knew it was there. The Dobe wasn't half bad after all. He heard Naruto give off a chuckle before turning.

Naruto just gave him a smirk of his own and wiped the blood off his cheek. "Not bad. What else you got?" Sasuke looked at him with mild amusement. If the Dobe thought he was capable of taking him on, he had another thing coming. The only thing holding Sasuke back was the information he retained when he discovered Naruto's file.

"You came alone," Sasuke stated, not even questioning the possibility that Naruto would involve anyone else.

"Ch, I didn't want anyone else getting first dibs at you for what you did to Sakura," he said. "That pleasure's going to be all mine. Believe me when I say the list of people you've pissed off is long, and they're not ordinary people…" Naruto said as the anger resurfaced. "…as you already know,"

Sasuke smirked and allowed the small trickle of blood to escape the cut on his head. He knew he wasn't dealing with just anyone, and the Dobe was probably the most extraordinary out of all of them. But still, he wouldn't take any chances. "And you really think you have what it takes to stop me now?"

Naruto stared dead on into his damned Sharingan. The challenge was there alright, and he had no doubt Sasuke would give him a run for his money, but that wasn't the issue here.

"You know it. I outta kill you right here if it wasn't for Sakura," he said. Immediately, he saw the atmosphere around Sasuke charge with rage at the mention of her name. The killing intent was so strong Naruto actually had to stop himself from taking a step back. The bastard was pissed.

"The kids…," Sasuke said, asking what he probably already knew. Naruto nodded. The rage masked the fear behind those blazing red eyes.

"That psychopath took them too," said Naruto. Sasuke quickly turned and headed toward the forest. Naruto cut him off at the pass.

"We're not finished here," he said. Sasuke looked at him will all the malicious intent in the world, but that didn't stop him. "You know where they are, don't you?"

"If you value your life…you'll walk the other way," Sasuke said. Naruto simply met him glare for glare.

"She's my friend, and you're a pain in the ass but still my friend too," he said before smirking. "You didn't think I would just to let you get away and have all the fun did you? I'll kick your ass later, but right now, I'm coming with you," he said, with his classic grin. "Believe it!"

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**Stuff has happened! **

**Okay I must address some concerning things I've gotten from some readers. First of all, do not take anything medical in this fic as actual facts. Consult a real doctor for medical questions, not me or this fic. **

**Also, I got one startling anonymous review from someone who told me they read my fic and they want to be a parent now because of how I portrayed my kids in the fic. Though that may be innocent enough, I will say this. PARENTING IS HARD WORK AND NOT AS FLUFFY AND EASY AS SORA AND SUKI WORLD. RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANOTHER LIFE IS TREMENDOUS! BE RESPONSIBLE! **

**I'm done freaking out. I know it's been a while since my last update but I would love your reviews, especially now that stuff has happened and some of it may be confusing, but it'll get more understandable later :D**


	35. The Ties that Bind

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 35: The Ties that Bind**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Abduction site:**

Naruto was prepared for any sudden attacks after that declaration. Sasuke didn't disappoint as he drew his sword and swung, only to be blocked with a much smaller blade he was quite familiar with.

"Kunai," Sasuke said eyeing the small weapon. "A little old school don't you think?"

"This coming from the guy wielding a big ass katana," Naruto muttered. "Blade against blade seems better than my gun don't you think?"

"Who says it's just a blade?" said Sasuke as the look in his eye changed. Naruto had just managed to jump back before the blade began to glow blue. Strands of electrical volts grew around it, with the cracking sounds of activity sounding like the hum of a thousand birds.

"Where the hell did you get that sword?" Naruto asked. He had seen this technique before, knew who it came from, and was determined to get an answer from him. "I've only seen that technique from one other person, and he sure as hell isn't you,"

"Kakashi has my bloodlines eye and he's been fittingly deemed a copycat because of it," Sasuke answered "When I read his file and saw what he was capable of, I thought it was only fitting I copy something of his as well only I found a better use for it. What did you think I've been doing while I was gone?"

He had to take time to recover, and worked through the pain to get back into his fighting body. Learning the Chidori technique from paper was no small feat, but his bloodline helped him succeed.

"Who else's file have you been reading?" Naruto demanded. If Sasuke was able to read his file, Naruto didn't know how he would handle that.

"The list of who I haven't is shorter," Sasuke replied. Naruto almost flinched at his choice of words, as they matched what Sakura said when he asked her that very same question right before she was taken. Is that why she was so determined not tell him who she knew about? Did Sai record what kind of monster dwells within his body, waiting to explode? Was she afraid of him? No, she couldn't be. She was finally ready to ask him for help, something he had been waiting for her to do for months. She waited too long and now she's gone. He wasn't about to wait for Sasuke's permission to help. He was getting it whether he wanted it or not.

"I'm assuming you know just how messed up I am on the inside then," Naruto began. "I also assuming that you know I'm no push over when it comes combat. You have your skills sure," he said shrugging. "We all have our own set of skills that come in handy when needed. But you have to know that I can kick your ass harder than any of the others so let's not waste any more time and just find Sakura and the kids,"

"You're CIA, and for that you can't be trusted," Sasuke said.

"The CIA is a team and we stick together; something you don't have to reject," Naruto shot back.

"And you're so sure that you can trust your own team?" Sasuke demanded. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Someone in there knew who I was and didn't bother tell any of you. Someone in the CIA is responsible for all those security breaches and if you look even closer, which is something I always do, you'll find that someone's been messing with the data compiled from the missing person's problem. Someone in there is helping this sick fuck and that's how I was able to find him," he said. "You've all be so busy trying to find me that you didn't even bother to see what was laying right there in front you,"

"What the fuck are you talking about? This can't be an inside job it-"

"It's the perfect way," Sasuke interjected. "Think about it. How else can something on this large a scale go unsolved for so long? Someone's dirty and they're using me as the perfect distraction to carry on with this. So don't be so trusting Dobe. It'll get you killed one day,"

"If there's a dirty agent, it's not one of my friends," Naruto declared with aggression. "I've known those guys as long as you have, and you know none of them are capable of something like that,"

"Did you ever think I was capable of what I've done?" Sasuke countered. "You know what I was Dobe. You know what I'm capable of and you didn't see any of that in me because I didn't let you. People only see what we let them see,"

Naruto just smirked "You know how I know that you're different? It's not because of what you let me see," he said. "It's because of what you can't hide. You're a jerk and a certified ass, but you make sure everyone is taken care of. You love your daughter and family, you care about your friends, you worked crazed hours to make sure that hospital you ran has everything it needed to help its patients. You even found it in yourself to fall for a woman who came with a wall around herself with a ton of emotional baggage. You took all that upon yourself and did everything you knew you could to protect her. Hell, you literally took a bullet for her. Besides, the most damning evidence is what you just said," Naruto grinned. "You said 'You don't know what I _was_', and if that's not proof you've turned around then I don't know what is,"

Sasuke had nothing to say to that. His blood-red eyes assessed his blond counterpart and realizing that there was more to the Dobe than idiocy.

"You want Sakura and the kids found alive and you want to destroy this bastard into oblivion, I get that," Naruto continued. "But you're going to need my help. I consider you a friend, and I don't abandon my friends,"

Sasuke knew the Dobe wouldn't back down, and he forced himself to realize that he may have a point. If the Naruto wanted to arrest him, he would have tried already. Nothing in his senses doubted his motive.

"You get in my way, I won't hesitate to kill you," Sasuke said as he took off into the woods. Naruto grinned and followed.

"That's if you think you can," he said before they disappeared into the woods.

* * *

**CIA Lab:**

"We have a general area," Shino announced when the satellite signaled a connection. "But it has a three hundred mile radius and no discernible county,"

"Can we get any more specific than that?" Kakashi asked. Shino sat up from his hunched position. Kakashi and Shikamaru decided to corner him at an inconvenient time.

"I've recovered enough of the hard drive to begin tracing. So far we've managed to isolate the general area, but nothing more than that. I need more time to dissect the signal," he said. Shikamaru knew that could take a while.

"In the meantime, we can cross check any potential spaces that could be used and filter them through with what we know of the potentials. But if this guy is as careful as I think he is, then he's got to be underground, in the literal sense," Shikamaru said.

Kakashi nodded. Every second that went by was eating at his nerves. He exited the lab with Shikamaru as they both made their way to the command center. They stopped by the medical room next. Shizune greeted them and gave them their progress.

"Tsunade is currently running labs. She has a hunch but won't tell me what it is until she's sure. We're otherwise done with the body," she said glancing at the covered remains of the poor woman who was scorched beyond recognition.

"Any clue as to what that hunch might be?" Shikamaru asked.

"Even I don't feel comfortable saying in unless I was sure," she said pointedly, glancing at Kakashi.

"We've got a problem on our hands," Jiraya said as he entered the room. "Naruto is nowhere to be found," he said, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Naruto is supposed to be on 24 hour surveillance since the Kyuubi stage resurfaced," Kakashi said. "Why weren't there eyes on him?"

"Because he saw fit to knock those eyes out with his left hook," Jiraya answered "His security detail was found passed out and stuffed in a storage room. Both of them rehashed how Naruto subdued them when they tried to prevent his exit. They also mentioned he was fully dressed in his combat gear,"

"Where do you think he's gone?" Shizune asked.

"If I know that blonde knuckle head he's off on a mission to find Sakura himself," Jiraya replied. "He goes with his gut that one, and I'm sure something came to him that he felt we wouldn't support,"

"Naruto," Kakashi said shaking his head. The last thing they needed was for him to lose control again in public. He had to be found immediately. Yamato entered the exam room at that time.

"Kakashi, Naruto is-"

"Missing," Kakashi finished. "So I've heard. Any luck tracing him via GPS?" he asked. Yamato, stunned that everyone already knew, took a moment to be embarrassed for letting his quarry slip, as he was the lead Agent in the containment division.

"I don't know how he got under my radar, but his GPS chip has been disabled," Yamato said.

"I don't know why we bother with those," Jiraya said. "Naruto knows the detail we put on him in the event of a relapse. Considering it's him, it wouldn't be much work using his cells to disintegrate the thing,"

"But the chance for a second relapse is increasingly high," Shikamaru stated. "Especially if he's stressed,"

"With his personality it'll take quite an event to stress him out," Jiraya said. "He's on the scent of something and since there's nothing we can do about it until he contacts us, I say we focus our attentions elsewhere," he said just as Tsunade came rushing into the room, papers clutched in her hand.

She paused and gave a disgruntled look at the amount of people in her sterile medical exam room, mucking up her process "I'd deck you all for entering here without the proper precautions but that can wait until later. Call a meeting. I've got some news and it isn't good,"

Kakashi felt the fear infiltrate his soul at her tone, but gathered it together enough to nod and lead them to the command center. It took no more than five minutes to assemble the troops.

Once again, everyone who was anyone had assembled at the command center, bracing themselves for any kind of news. Hinata sat by Ino and Tenten and kept an eye out for Naruto. He hadn't returned and she was growing more worried by the minute.

She caught Jiraya's eye and felt that he knew what she must have been thinking. He simply winked at her, as if telling her everything was going to be okay. Since he was Naruto's mentor, Hinata felt she could trust him, but the fear lingered. She drew her attention to the front as Tsunade made her way to address them.

"I didn't want to have to pull any of you from your tasks unless I found something that could narrow this down more. I just did so listen up," she said with all the authority she could muster.

"This perp is doing something to the bodies, that much is clear," Tsunade began. "The bodies I'm talking about are the ones that have gone missing since late last year. It's more than likely that a good chunk of them are no longer among the living," she said, checking to see if everyone was following before she continued.

"Since he's taken so many people of all different types, it was difficult to isolate the precise reason. I took a closer look at the cells on the woman from the woods and discovered that there was a large amount of decomposition mixed with regenerative cells. It's as if the body couldn't decide if it was dead or alive," she said.

"So we're talking zombies?" Kiba asked more perplexed than amused.

"In a way, yes," Tsunade answered. She exchanged a look with Jiraya. She knew he was thinking the same thing she was. "But they have a very specific purpose,"

"This is falling on increasingly familiar territory," Jiraya said. When she nodded, he knew that they now had one more possibility to consider.

"I'm afraid so," she said. "The Sound Organization is definitely tied into this more than we realized. Whoever is taking these people is messing around with the theory of regeneration, namely the concept of reviving the dead. This is not the first time the idea has been entertained,"

"Regeneration is impossible," Gaara commented from his spot against the wall. "The very core of the idea is scientifically inaccurate,"

"That's true. But there are those who work to defy the odds," Tsunade said looking around the room. She was miffed to know that she was older than all of them, aside from Jiraya. A few of the older agents were familiar with the cases from her time, but a lot of the younger ones weren't as up to speed.

Yamato was one of the few that caught on to exactly what she was implying. "Are you saying that Orochimaru's work has continued?" he asked. The name alone reverberated throughout the room.

So the legend lives, Tsunade thought as she assessed the shockwave. "Yes. Though Orochimaru himself is dead, someone has picked up the pieces and has been actively pursuing his work. I believe this is the root of the mass disappearances that have plagued the country and why all kinds of people vanished without a trace. Two of our biggest cases are connected,"

"But how is that kind of work possible?" Shikamaru asked. "It just sounds like a death trap,"

"Orochimaru was what most would deem as a mad scientist, but a scientist none the less," Tsunade began. "Some of you Senior Agents are aware of the history, but I'm going to enlighten the rest of you. You see, he used to be one of us. Orochimaru was a former CIA agent, who went rogue,"

That statement certainly got a reaction. "And to answer your question Shikamaru," she continued "His work wasn't all that impossible," she said before glancing at Yamato. He nodded, knowing what she wished him to say. He stood up and went to the front of the room.

"What she says is true," Yamato said. "Orochimaru not only toyed with the idea of regeneration, but DNA manipulation as well. He experimented on countless people, even children. In the end, most of them died save for a select few. I happen to be one of them," he said glancing around the room before he continued.

"I was abducted along with about sixty other children to be experimented on. We were all subjected to DNA testing and manipulation. He tried to infuse us with the DNA of others who had special capabilities in hopes that it would be replicated through us. The results were catastrophically lethal. Orochimaru was discovered by the CIA and was forced to abandon the research, assuming we had all died. But I managed to survive, and not only that, the experiment worked on me. My DNA is infused with that of a former Agent, whose abilities enabled him to contain unstable cells. This is why I was placed in charge of the biological containment division,"

The Agents were stunned. The severity of their agencies history was a lot to take in. Tsunade knew this would be hard for them to handle.

"The CIA has its own dangers and mistakes, the likes of which we're still dealing with today" she began. "You all have the right to know about the internal conflicts that have plagued us throughout the years. We have done our best to eliminate the dangers, but we and any future generations must always be aware of our mistakes in order to prevent them in the future. We lost one of our own years ago, and he turned into one of the greatest threats to humanity we could have imagined. Now the ideals of Orochimaru are being carried by someone else, and we need to figure out who that is,"

"But what does that mean for Sakura and the children?" Neji asked. "They weren't a random kidnapping. They've been targeted for almost a year. He took them now for a reason,"

"And I'm afraid that reason is still to be fully understood," Tsunade said. "But what we can assume is that the three of them will be subjected to his experiments at some point in time. We need to figure out who he is,"

"So this guy is an apprentice," Kakashi said hurriedly. "He's taking over Orochimaru's mission,"

"The drive has been passed down to someone," Tsunade said. "Orochimaru had many followers, most of which we've secured but we have no idea just how many he may have had. He traveled extensively and could have picked up an apprentice anywhere within those travels; someone no one else would miss but with the mental intellect to grasp and even obsess over the possibilities. Whoever this is heavily believes in his work,"

Before the ramifications of that could settle, Kakashi was notified of a call coming in. Since the entire team was in the conference room, Kakashi directed the call to the hologram projector. The wavelengths appeared, and the call identified. Hinata gasped when she saw it was Naruto.

"You're on with the entire group, and you better have a good excuse for your absence," Kakashi said. "Where are you Naruto?" Kakashi asked. The wavelengths moved with his words.

"_I have no idea where we're going, but I'll let you know as soon as we reach it,"_ Naruto replied as the wavelengths moved with his words. When Kakashi saw that the signature matched Naruto's voice and that they weren't manipulated code from an enemy, Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

"We?" he asked.

"_Oh yeah…I found Sasuke,"_ Naruto answered. A collective round of sheer surprise took hold in the conference room. Hinata was about ready to pass out.

"Naruto…," she whispered.

"You found Sasuke Uchiha?" Kakashi asked.

"_You better believe it. I had a hunch and followed it,"_ Naruto said.

"What is your location?" Kakashi asked.

"_I don't know. The bastard wouldn't tell in case I relayed the info to you. It was the only way I was going to be able to follow him. He knows where they are,"_ he said enticing more gasps from the room.

"Put him on the line," Kakashi demanded.

"_Can't,"_ Naruto replied. _"All he's told me is that if you guys went swarming in, Sakura and the kids won't stand a chance," _

"Dammit Naruto!" Kakashi shouted, slamming his hands on the table. "If he knows where they are then we need to know!"

"_All he's told me is that that would be a bad idea. He won't tell me anything else," _

"And you trust him just by that?" Kakashi asked. "Naruto you are bound by duty to this organization and you are no exception to its protocols. Tell us where they are,"

"_I already told you, I have no clue," _Naruto repeated. _"But Sasuke does and if this is the only way he'll let me help then I've got to go with it," _

"Don't forget that he's an S Class criminal and should have been brought in. You know the law Naruto and you are not above it. The rules are there for a reason," Kakashi declared.

"_He's also my friend,"_ Naruto said. _"And someone I highly respect once told me, that those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum. If my friend just happens to be a former S Class criminal, so be it,"_

The entire room turned and watched their Commander in silence.

It was a surreal feeling, hearing those words coming from Naruto. Kakashi closed his eyes and lowered his head. The day had finally arrived when Naruto would use the lessons he learned against him. There were several truths to this world and few truer than what he just said. It was a lesson his father had taught him; what Obito Uchiha confirmed when he died giving him his Sharingan eye. He had to trust his pupil for his daughters' sake, and he had to trust another Uchiha, for Obito.

"Naruto…"

"_We all have the same goal here," _Naruto continued. _"For now, back us up. I'll send you the coordinates the minute we get there, and it better not take you more than ten minutes to get here this time or you better believe I'll be pissed. Be on the ready,"_ he said. And then with more hesitancy, he added. _"And Hinata…" _he said making her jump at her name. She looked at the moving waveforms longingly, wishing she could see him. _"I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going. I'll be back soon…Believe it,"_

* * *

**Naruto's POV:**

When he shut off communication, Naruto chanced a glance at Sasuke, who hadn't uttered a single word during the call.

Sasuke directed him to a small lethal looking vehicle that would have put Batman to shame. He allowed Naruto the call simply because he wouldn't stop whining about letting them know where he was. He made no comment when Naruto defended their friendship, but the Dobe was simple enough to understand. He would help, in any way he could. Defying the agency showed Sasuke just how much Sakura and the kids meant to him as well.

"You know if you told me those coordinates now, they can be there within the hour," Naruto said as they drove through the area. Sasuke had stared straight ahead, his eyes glowing in the darkness of the vehicle.

Naruto could tell he was still enraged at Sakura's capture. But the kids must have been driving him to madness. The possibilities were endless as far as the Sound Organization, and he would know just how ruthless they could be.

"You plan on telling me who's responsible for this shit or am I just supposed to be surprised?" Naruto asked. Sasuke didn't' spare him a glance as he spoke.

"As soon as you tell me who you think is responsible for the security breech in your own organization" he asked. Judging by the following silence, he knew the Dobe didn't want to dwell on that. Too damn bad.

"I honestly can't," Naruto admitted. "I can't see anyone in that organization betraying us, and I've been told that that side of my personality is one of my biggest flaws,"

"Whoever told you that was right," Sasuke said. "To trust someone completely is like handing them a gun and daring them to shoot you. You're blinded by that trust and because of that, you let one of your own betray you. The CIA may or may not have the idea that there's a dirty Agent somewhere. Either way, you haven't caught your own perpetrator yet. You're priorities have been off,"

"Our priorities are all over the place. One of our own is missing, and another one may have betrayed us" Naruto replied. "When it hits this close to home, it's hard to be objective. That's also a flaw for us, I get that. But Sakura is one of us. She's our Commander's daughter and more legendary than she could ever realize,"

Sasuke was glad that he at least realized that much. After a beat of silence, Naruto decided to ask "Do you know who's been undermining our investigation? I didn't mention that to Kakashi in case the dirt bag happened to be in the room, but I should know at least"

Sasuke wasn't about to tell him. He wasn't taking any chances at this point, even it was the Dobe. "It's being taken care of," he finally said. Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"If you know who's been-"

"I do know," Sasuke interjected. "I know a hell of a lot more than I would have cared to about the CIA. You wouldn't believe the amount of internal cover ups they dish out. Your agency is as much a danger to its own Agents as the crime it tries to prevent,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto shouted.

"You want to tell me how you got that condition you're so paranoid of?" he asked, only to receive immediate silence. "That's what I thought,"

"I figure I don't need to rehash something you already know," Naruto replied. "The CIA sure as hell isn't perfect, but it has something for everyone. Thinking back, I'm glad you didn't join. I know you would have gotten sucked into ROOT,"

The mention of that word had Sasuke's hands tightening on the wheel. That was the key to all of this. That hidden organization began the foundation for this entire mess years ago.

"That guy Sai," he began catching Naruto's attention. "What was his deal?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"If you're asking me then I'm assuming you haven't read Sai's file," Naruto said. Sasuke's face didn't give anything away, but there was something in his tone when he spoke.

"There was no file," Sasuke answered. "Because the man you knew as Sai never existed,"

"What the hell are you talking about? Of course he did!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke almost laughed.

"What do you really know about the ROOT division? What do you really know about the organization you fight for? They have their foot soldiers, and then they have their secret weapons like ROOT. None of them have files. They were made to be untraceable, and disposable. That's why there's no record of him,"

"Rewind and freeze," Naruto demanded. "What did you mean when you said Sai never existed?"

"Think about it Dobe," Sasuke said. "He existed as a person, but Sai wasn't his real name. I don't even think he had a real name," he said recalling all the times he tried searching for the man and turning up blank. No marriage registrar, and unlisted on his own son's birth certificate. Deliberate interference on the CIA ROOT divisions' part.

"I dug up some dirt about ROOT, even though they thought they swept it under the rug," he continued. "That division picks up stray kids and strips them of their humanity before programming them to be machines. No names, no emotions, no relationships, no identity. Their only purpose is to do whatever the hell ROOT commands them to do. The only file the agency has is on the character, not the man. "Sai" was a name given to him when he got one very particular assignment,"

"And what assignment was that?" Naruto asked, even though he felt he already knew. Sasuke simply glanced at him, and Naruto was forced to accept it. "So Sai only became Sai when he was assigned to protect Sakura,"

Sasuke's eyes hardened, and once again, the killing aura enveloped them. "Sai's mission wasn't to _protect_ Sakura," Sasuke said with a deadly quiet tone. "His mission was to _kill _her,"

* * *

**CIA Analysis Division:**

"Look up all of the graduating class of Sakura's year," Shikamaru directed. "Now cross reference all the male students born at least five years older. Sakura entered young and so everyone would have been at least that much older than her,"

"That leaves us with 200 possibilities," Neji said. He, along with the rest of the group not immediately needed elsewhere had taken up post at the analysis division to begin narrowing down suspects. Hinata was being closely watched by Neji, as the news of Naruto's escapades sent her into a more delicate state than she cared to let everyone know. Neji swore to beat the shit out of Naruto when he got the chance.

"At least it's a list we can start with," Tenten said at her post near a large computer screen. She was going through a topographical search of the country, trying to locate any vicinity that could possibly be of use to their perp. As part of the tactician's team, it was her job to come up with a battle plan most advantageous to the area. "The sooner Shino narrows down a more specific area, the sooner I can refine my own search,"

"Filter through those 200 and eliminate those that didn't have any classes with her," Shikamaru directed at Neji.

"That leaves us with 53 subjects," Neji said.

"How many of them came from stable backgrounds?"

"12," he said. Tenten cringed.

"Wow, only 12 people came from normal homes? That's kind of frightening," she said.

"Now factor in birth records. How many were born in country?"

"All of them,"

"Alright now let's do a year by year background search," Shikamaru said. "Tsunade said that this guy could have been picked up by Orochimaru sometime in his childhood and anywhere in the world as far as we know. If this guy traveled at all long enough to be approached by him, we should be able to find some missing gaps in his history,"

Neji began the search, filtering through the history of the remaining 41 suspects.

"Who does that leave?" Shikamaru asked as the pictures filtered back and forth and light speed. This guy had to be in here somewhere, and they'd find him if it took everything they had. Shikamaru braced himself to stay with this branch of the investigation, having confidence in relaying his other responsibilities to a very trusted individual.

He wondered if it was wise to do so, consider who she was. But Anko was no push over. She was exactly what he needed considering the assignment he passed down to her.

* * *

**CIA LAB: Anko's POV**

Anko entered the lab after she had been given the proper attire consisting of a white Hasmat suit that made her feel like the Pillsbury doughboy. Pushing the way she looked aside, she made her way toward the figure dissecting the fragments of the tracking device.

Shikamaru was wise to have her take over this aspect of the investigation. It was more of her specialty than his, and since he filled her in on exactly what he had been working on, Anko was able to make a few leaps he might not have otherwise been able to make.

But before she could tackle her main objective, she had to get this part of her job out of the way.

She waited until Shino noticed her, knowing how particular he was about his work. Shino continued his observations as he acknowledged her. "I've just about set the calibrations to begin tracing the receiving coordinates. It took a while but I used the concept of tracking based on one scent as the Bikouchu would do and configured the satellite trackers to pin point a general area no more than twenty miles of the receiver. If this works we'll have a location soon,"

"We're running out of options, so this better work," she said eyeing all the containers of insects dispersed among the mounds of lab material and technology. It was an odd combination that nonetheless worked.

"I should know if this will work in a few hours," Shino said. Knowing a dismissal when she heard one Anko simply turned around and left, heading toward the training arena. She ripped the suit off and happily stuffed it down a soiled gowns dispenser before making her way through the base.

Other cases still mattered, and new recruits still needed training, even in times of crisis. That was what she took on as a result of the shift in priorities for Kakashi. It was one less thing for him to worry about and she was more than capable of keeping things running here. Plus it put him at ease with her condition and gave him less time to nag her about it.

Unfortunately it gave her more time to think about what her genes would do to the baby. Suki Uchiha was an example of the curse mark being recessive in a child. But the passing didn't come from her mother who incubated her. Anko was constantly filtering the blood to her child, and she had no idea what it was doing to him.

It's a boy. That's what she told Kakashi at the last meeting when he looked ready to die. She never knew when the right time to talk to him about these matters was, but when she saw how the situation with his daughter was destroyed him, she had to give him something good. Either way, he didn't die on her, and that had to count for something.

Now it was time to move in on her real target.

She walked to the interrogation unit. She had a date with a very particular member of the Uchiha family.

She saw Ibiki Moreno, the agency's top interrogator walking down in her direction. Judging by his scowl, he still hadn't managed to crack Itachi Uchiha in an interrogation.

"Mitarashi," Ibiki said. "Shikamaru called. I can't say I'm thrilled about your participation in this,"

"Itachi getting to you Ibiki?" she asked, making him frown. "He learned how to counter interrogation from you. It won't be easy to destroy something you built,"

"And he knows it," Ibiki said running a hand down his scarred face. "He's involved with this somehow. He's our best bet as the tip off for his brother. Cracking him is like trying to put a crack in water. It's impossible,"

"And that's an Uchiha for you," she said, instinctively placing a hand on her abdomen when the baby kicked. Frisky little guy, she thought when he settled down. Ibiki glanced at her baby bump. It wasn't like it was avoidable at this point. That was one particular reason he didn't want her in there.

"Does Kakashi know you're out and about?" he asked. He earned quite the glare in response. "He's given everyone look out duty on you, just so you know. He doesn't want another kid to end up like the first,"

"Duly noted," she said dryly. "How about you let me have a go at Itachi? Pregnant woman can make men uncomfortable, as you certainly are and maybe he may actually blink when he sees me. Besides," she said walking away from him. "Water can be cracked…you just have to freeze it first," she said opening the door and walking in.

Anko entered the interrogation room with her eyes trained on Itachi Uchiha sitting in the center of a dark room illuminated only with a bright white light in his face. It wouldn't have any effect on him; not with those eyes of his.

She made her way over and sat in the chair directly before him. "So, you want to admit now that you're the one who tipped off Sasuke, or shall we just drag this out a bit more," she asked conversationally.

Itachi's cool collected eyes remained trained on her own without wavering.

"I know you could have busted out of here whenever the hell you wanted. I know there's a reason you didn't," Anko began. "Everything about you is about purpose, Itachi. You don't do anything without one,"

He continued to stare at her, assessing her the way he always assessed his surroundings. Anko wasn't going to fool herself into thinking that Itachi didn't intimidate her, but she sure as hell wasn't going to show it.

"Now, protecting your little brother may be a noble effort, but when he's an S Class Criminal your helping him in anyway is considered the work of an accomplice. This is all stuff you know. So what gives Itachi? What more are you working on sitting behind this desk and pretending to be interrogated. Something is keeping you here instead of helping your brother. I think it's one of two things," she said sitting back and placing her hands over her belly. Having a big one came in handy for that at least.

"One, you're just bored and you just want to mess with Ibiki's bald ass head. Or two, you're working Internal Affairs. That being said, what better way to gain information than here in the interrogation room, where the questions provide more answers themselves rather than the source of you inquiry,"

She thought she saw just the slightest upward tilt of the corner of his mouth, but it was gone so quickly she might have made it up. What she did know was that she was spot on.

From the two way mirror, Ibiki nearly choked on his coffee. What the hell? He was working IA? His skills were slipping. He stared at the scene before him: Itachi Uchiha, being hounded by a pregnant woman.

"Who are you interested enough to linger here?" she asked. "I can already exclude myself. The most reckless thing I did this year was getting knocked up. So who?"

Itachi's eyes penetrated her skin, evaluating the source of her anxiety. His voice never wavered when he said "The child you carry will not succumb to the curse. The borrowed Sharingan he inherits from his father will carry him through it,"

She made the mistake of staring at his eyes for far too long before she lost consciousness. When she woke up, she was in the infirmary with an uncomfortable looking Ibiki.

"Mother fu-"

"She's awake. Inform Kakashi," Ibiki shouted over her curse to someone in the distance before turning to her. "Damn, this is why I didn't want you in there. Now that we know he was working IA, we've got our eyes peeled for a dirty Agent. But damn it all Anko, he still got away," he said quickly before she could ask the obvious questions.

Anko dropped her head against the pillow and sighed in defeat. "We have a dirty Agent…damn," she said, closing her eyes. "You know what to do Ibiki," she said. She couldn't be too upset with Itachi even if she wanted to. He may have Sharinganed her ass, but not before giving her some peace of mind. Now she owed him one.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

She was drained of her energy. She couldn't feel anything. Even with her closed eyes, her heart drummed with all the fear a mother could muster. Damn that bastard. He had her babies.

They kept knocking her out. Whenever she would begin to thrash they simply injected her with more damn drugs so she wouldn't hurt herself. The restraints were digging too deep into her wrists, leaving angry red welts in their wake. They had since replaced them with soft sponge cuffs and belting the rest of her at various levels against the bed.

She hadn't seen Kabuto since she smashed his head in. She had only seen on other person since she had been here, and this time, she was determined to get to him. She didn't sense him when he entered the room.

Sakura was startled awake when she felt the needle injected into her arm. She immediately began to trash, but couldn't due to the restrains belted around her.

"If you haven't learned by now that it won't do you any good, you're not as smart as they say you are," said the now familiar voice. Sakura opened her eyes and stared into the dark soul-less depths of a man she had come to familiarize herself with.

His white hair, seemingly gray in the lighting along with his impassive gaze had her on edge. She saw him pull the needle out and holding up a vile of her blood. At least he wasn't drugging her this time. Perhaps she only lasted this long without them because they wanted her blood free of drugs.

There was something about him though that had her wondering. The doctor in her would never stop. His physical characteristics were unique. He was young, but he had been suffering from something for quite a while. It was possible he may still be suffering from it. Either way, he was running on something she didn't know of.

He placed gauze over her arm where the needle had been and taped it secure. His eyes glanced down to her arms, were the red welts were still prominent. When he looked back to her face, he could only freeze in place when he found himself locked in her intense gaze.

He'd never focused on her face for any length of time, and this was why. Those eyes unnerved him as they penetrated his soul. Green fire burned through them as they tried to figure him out. Damn if they didn't bring him right back to his past; right back to _her_.

He couldn't look away.

"How's your leg?" she asked quietly, making him tense. "It must have hurt… when my son stabbed you. I know it must have left permanent damage," she said. He could tell by her subdued voice that she was running low on energy. With everything they were pumping into her, he wasn't surprised. She refused to eat anything, and Kabuto didn't want to do anything rash to force her in risk of injury to her.

Kabuto thought of her as some picture of perfection; blinded by his obsession. If he could only see just how she was deteriorating…

"What is that sick bastard doing to my children?" she asked. She wasn't pleading with him, she was demanding. "And what's your part in all this?"

"What makes you think you'll get any answers from me?" he asked, pulling out a tube of ointment and placing it on her wrists. She didn't flinch as the burning sensation seeped into the cuts. Why he was helping her was beyond her, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that he may be the only way out of this. He was the only thing that didn't make sense.

"Because you're the one that doesn't fit in all this. He'll kill them," she said. "He'll kill my babies. It won't work, you know it won't work. They're only children. How could you let him do this to them?"

"You brought this on yourself," he said moving to the next wrist.

"How?" she asked. "How the hell did I bring this on myself? How does anyone bring being abducted and having to watch her children being…" she couldn't continue. The image of them she saw on the monitor…she just couldn't bear the thought of what was going on.

"She's not even yours," he said as he watched her try to control herself. "The Uchiha girl shouldn't even matter to you,"

"Clearly, you've never been a parent," she whispered. "Suki doesn't have to be born from me to be my child. I love her, like I love my son. Both my children are innocent in this. Kabuto's a sick fuck, but I don't get you,"

"Get this," he said getting close up to her face. "You made your bed when you got in one with an Uchiha. Now you reap what you sow,"

She wasn't so out of it that she didn't pick up on the hatred that came from him when he said Uchiha. "What did the Uchiha's ever do to you?" she asked. He didn't comment. He turned to walk away when her next statement stopped him.

"Hit a nerve did I?" she asked. "Sasuke will find us," she said. He turned and gave her a thorough stare. She believed he would. He could see the hope in her eyes. Such faith…in that bastard…

"I've been prepared to kill him for years. I hope he makes it," he said before walking out of the room. She waited until she was sure he was out of earshot when she broke down in tears.

She didn't know how much time had passed since she was taken. She didn't know what was happening to Sora and Suki right now. She was so weak and exhausted, and scared out of her mind. But she needed to get out of here and get to her kids. She just needed to think.

Kabuto wanted the curse marks cells. He wanted to revive Orochimaru. He wanted to harvest Suki's genes and infuse them into Sora. The only solace she could see was that the blood transfusion itself wouldn't harm Sora. He was type AB and thankfully a universal recipient. But Kabuto showed no interest in what happened to Suki, and if he drained her of enough blood she wouldn't survive.

Both children were still in danger. If they didn't make it, he planned to use her to make another child. The nausea made itself known again at the sick plan. Think think think. What could she do to get out of here?

Nothing, she thought. Nothing but wait and see what he would do to her. She was here, her kids were somewhere here, and all she could do was cry.

"Daddy…," she choked thinking about her father, and all that he had done to protect her from this. "Sasuke…" she sobbed. Where was he? She needed him now more than ever. Why wasn't he here?

* * *

**Mystery Dude Two's POV:**

He didn't care. He walked away from her before she could rattle him anymore than she had, but he still heard her break down.

Kabuto wasn't taking care of his quarry nearly as well as he imagined. Considering the bastard was obsessed with her, he pretty much left her to her own devices. All he ordered was the occasional blood draw and injection of sedatives, and leave it at that.

Just because he took it upon himself to look in on her once in a while didn't mean anything. He wanted her alive. The Uchiha would be weaker if he had something to fight for. She was no use to him dead.

He heard movement up ahead. He concealed himself in the shadows, not wanting anyone to know that he was keeping tabs on the woman. Two lab rats walked by, carrying some papers in their hands. He stood still and let them pass. He had been walking around without paying attention to where he was going, and he saw that it lead him to the lab.

Those two kids were in there. The fact that he wasn't permitted entrance into the lab was only a mild curiosity on his part. His only goal was getting to the Uchiha, but he was well aware that he was being used. He was fine with that.

But that Haruno woman's green eyes plagued him. Aya's eyes were once like hers; so alive and bright and burning with life.

He stood outside the lab, debating whether or not to see for himself exactly what was going on; what Kabuto was so set on doing. More footsteps made his decision for him as he went into the storage unit adjacent to the lab. The footsteps passed, and with each minute, he grew more perplexed at his own behavior.

He blamed it on that woman. She was getting to him, whether he wanted her to or not.

When he looked around the large room, he was surrounded by rows and rows of shelves, all filled to capacity with various things. Piles of clothing, jewelry, possessions, cellphones, handbags, wallets, shoes. Everything from everyone they had ever taken when this whole organization started. Every missing person that Kabuto had him abduct, and every single one that didn't survive; this was where their possessions ended up.

They couldn't dispose their belongings elsewhere and risk being found. When he saw just how many people he had helped eliminate, he realized that his soul was damned for his part in all of this. So great was his hatred for the Uchiha bastard that he was willing to play a part in all this. But it was the only way to get the opportunity. The only way to avenge her.

He had so much taken away from him since he was a child. Aya was the last straw. Life was through messing with him. Why did he have to lose everything? What the hell had he ever done to deserve all this?

He closed his eyes, recalling the last moment he had spoken to her. The night that changed everything.

"_Shin," she said looking into his eyes with all the compassion in the world. "We can't do this anymore," she said. _

_Shin stared at her from his position only a foot away. They were at the park, at the spot they had always met to be together. It was where they first met, where he first began to make a recovery from the illness that plagued him since childhood. He had all but given up on life. He severed all his ties and had gotten out of the organization that owned him at the cost of everything that was dear to him, only to suffer endlessly with disease. _

_Then he met her: Aya Jin. _

"_What are you talking about Aya?" Shin asked. She looked so guarded, and so torn. She couldn't hold his gaze long as the wind blew in her hair. _

"_I can't see you anymore," Aya said. _

"_Why?" he asked. "What's holding you back?" _

_She looked so hesitant, but she held on strong. This was what she had to do. "I'm getting married," she said. _

_The jolt that overcame his system was stunning. He stared at her in shock for a mere two seconds before that shock turned into rage. "Who?" he asked. _

"_Shin…"_

"_Who is it?" he yelled. "Who's forcing you into this?" _

"_No one is forcing me," Aya said. "I made this decision on my own,"_

"_The hell you did," Shin yelled. "What brought this on?" _

"_Shin, it's settled," she said. "I'm getting married soon. I can no longer see you. I'm no good for you. Please don't make this any harder than it already is. My fiancé...he's not-"_

"_Is he the one forcing you into this?" Shin asked grabbing her arms. "Is he making you marry him?" _

"_No," Aya said. "Shin he's a good man. And my father is-"_

"_Your father's forcing you to marry him," _

"_Shin, listen to me," Aya pleaded. _

"_I won't," Shin said. "I won't lose you. My life has been nothing until you came into it. I was dead before you. Tell me who he is. I'll kill him," _

_Aya's brilliant green eyes widened at the threat, because she believed him. She knew what he was capable of; what he had endured before they found each other. But this was for his own good. Her father would kill him if he ever found out about their relationship. It was the only reason she agreed to marry another man. _

"_Shin, please. I'm marrying Sasuke Uchiha…and there's nothing you can do about it," she said. She hated saying that, because the hurt and betrayal that flashed through his eyes broke her. She could never tell him the reason why; never explain to him just how much she loved him to sacrifice herself, but if she did, he would only get himself killed. She couldn't live that way. She couldn't live in a world where he wasn't alive. _

_Her father would see to it. _

"_I do love you Shin," Aya said, eyes watering and catching the moonlight. "So please…be happy without me," she said breaking away from him and running in the opposite direction. _

_Shin was set to run after her. Before he even took a single step, a figure emerged from the shadows. Shin couldn't make out who it was, but heard the man give out an order. _

"_Get him," he said. Shin didn't stand a chance as several men in dark suits surrounded him. _

"_Who the hell are-"_

_He didn't get to finish. A swift punch to the jaw stunned him enough to be subdued and knocked out. _

_When he woke, he found himself in the hospital. His last memory was of Aya running away from him. He found out that he had been unconscious for a week, and that Aya Jin had been married off. When he looked into whom she had married, that's when things began to make sense to him. _

_Sasuke Uchiha. _

_He was a rich business mogul, and now that he thought about it, those men that jumped him in the park…they must have been Uchiha henchmen. They were the reason Aya was no longer with him. That was the truth he had come up with and carried with him for all those years. _

_He had planned to confront Uchiha after he had gained his strength. He worked hard, and had obtained medication that enabled him to control his debilitating disease. But by that time, he discovered that Aya was pregnant. The betrayal that had seeped into his soul intensified, and delayed him enough to let things slip from his grasp. _

_Then…Aya had died. His whole world died with her. _

_Vengeance was all he had to live for now. _

"Dammit!" Shin cursed as he recalled the memory of the day his life went to hell. Raw emotions bubbled onto the surfaced, something he had never allowed to happen before. But damn it, damn the Haruno woman and the eyes the reminded him so much of everything he had lost.

He punched the nearest rack in rage, not even caring as the items on the shelf fell out of place. He was breathing heavily, trying to calm himself enough to walk back out of the storage area and strengthen his resolve not to get involved with this any more than he was.

He wouldn't care, not matter what. He bent and picked up the stuff that had fallen on the floor, shoving them back randomly. He only registered that they were the clothes the Haruno woman had been wearing when she had been brought in.

Further enraged, he shoved them back as forcefully as he could, not wanting anything to do with them, or her, from here on out. The forceful movements pushed the handbag she had off the shelf. The clasp opened and something square and black fell out and opened.

It was a book.

Shin turned to pick it up…then froze when his eyes landed on the book. More specifically, the page that displayed itself had him stop. Carefully, he lifted the book off the floor, and stared at the two images on it.

They were drawings…one on each page. There was a familiar dark haired man on one page…and on the other…

It was him.

The two figures held hands in the middle.

Gasping in shock, reeling from what he held in his hands, Shin stumbled back and gapped.

"This can't be…" he gasped as he stared into the drawings, done by a hand that he knew well. He turned the book over and studied the composition. He knew this book…he bought this book years ago. He gave this book to a very specific person. Why did the Haruno woman have it?

"…Brother?" he gasped as the stared into the face of the boy he thought he lost all those years ago.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**Hello all. Mystery dude two is finally revealed: It's Shin. **

**I've been calling him "Mystery Dude two" since the dawn of this fic because back then he was nameless. It was before Kishimoto revealed that his name was Shin in the actual manga lol. **

**REVIEW PLEASE! **


	36. Brother

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 36: Brother **

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Naruto's POV:**

"_His mission was to kill her__**"**_

Naruto decided to think before shouting; a first for him. Sasuke wasn't just saying that to get a rise out of him, and Sai clearly didn't kill Sakura. But the question still lingered. Why would he say that?

"How did you come to learn that?" Naruto asked with an uncharacteristic calmness.

"I have my ways," Sasuke answered.

"You have your ways. That's all you're going to tell me?" Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Do you _understand _what I'm telling you?" Sasuke asked patiently.

"Why don't you spell it out for me," Naruto said, retaining as much control that was humanly possible. All it took was the right push, and he could have a relapse right here. "Unlike you, I've met the man. I knew Sai, and I know he would have never done that to her,"

Sasuke, sensing the gaps, complied. "You knew of the protection detail placed on her when she was sixteen," he said. Naruto nodded. "Didn't you ever question why an Agent from Black Ops was needed for something like that?"

Naruto was about to shake his head, but stopped himself. "Yeah, but only for a split second. Like I said, Sakura was, and still is a high priority target for retribution. Kakashi has a lot of enemies, and she was his only weakness. Regular protection didn't cut it when she came close to dying at one point,"

"So they put a Black Ops Agent on her," Sasuke continued. "They chose a very specific Agent for that; an Agent, who up until that point had virtually no identity,"

"They thought it was necessary, though no one could have imagined the direction that assignment could have taken," Naruto mumbled, not knowing how to put his thoughts into words. But then the weight of his words finally began to sink in. Sai didn't kill Sakura… but he was _supposed_ to which meant…

Naruto sat up straighter as the revelation stuck. "Son of bitch! It's ROOT. They wanted her dead!" he yelled. "I gotta call this in," he said reaching for his communicator. Sasuke laid his blade across Naruto's throat, stopping all his movements.

"I told you…it's being taken care of," he said. "They aren't going to get away with this, but the minute you notify anyone, they'll escape,"

"How the hell are you taking care of it from here? Kakashi has to know what's going on. They all have to know," Naruto shouted.

"Think before you act," Sasuke said. "If they go hunting for the dirty Agent, who's to say that he won't tip off Sound and warn them of an incoming attack? We'll lose them," he said fiercely. The Sound Organization had no qualms about abandoning works in progress, even human works, for death.

Naruto shoved the kunai away from his neck and slammed his fist into the console. "Dammit…," he muttered. "So ROOT's not only responsible for Sakura's life, they're in cahoots with Sound? Son of a bitch!" he huffed once again. "How the hell could something like this happen? How could a sworn division of the agency turn like this?"

"It's the consequence of one botched mission and the agenda behind it," Sasuke said. "Everything comes back to Sai,"

"He protected her," Naruto said. "He never would have killed her,"

"But that wasn't how it was supposed to go down," Sasuke said. "We're not going to mince words here. Sai was an assassin. His only mission was to kill for the CIA. He had done it countless times before in the name of ROOT. Sakura wasn't supposed to be any different to him," he said. The knowledge that Sakura's life was that close to an end hit him like a thousand senbon needles piercing his skin.

"But she was," Naruto said after a stretch of time. "Sakura may have saved herself, just by being herself,"

That was one of the thoughts that had been haunting Sasuke. He knew of the pull that Sakura held over his own heart. Therefore he knew, even a heartless assassin would fall prey to her pull. "He couldn't stop," Sasuke continued. "Not after he made his choice. ROOT wanted her dead Dobe and you have to wonder why. What would happen in the event of her death? Who would it affect the most? That's what you need to ask yourself,"

"Kakashi, hands down," Naruto answered.

"And what does Kakashi control?"

"The CIA," Naruto said before the big picture formed in his head. The annoyance of having Sasuke spoon feed him the information didn't have time to linger as the reason was made clear. "Someone wanted Kakashi out of the way,"

"Enemies were always trying to get to him through his daughter," Sasuke said. "What better way to destroy a man than attempt the very same thing and make it seem like it was done by an enemy? That was Sai's true purpose. And who controls ROOT?"

"Danzo…," Naruto practically growled the name. "But if Sai killed Sakura then Kakashi would have known it was him,"

"Not unless they killed Sai as well. Disposable agents," he repeated. "That's what ROOT is all about. Sai would have known that. He would have gone along with that. But he didn't,"

"So Sakura's love not only changed him…it saved him, from himself," Naruto said.

A few beats of silence passed. Sasuke couldn't keep his curiosity out of his mind.

"Do you believe his affection was genuine?" Sasuke asked. Naruto glanced at him before he answered.

"I do," Naruto said. "You have every reason to be weary of him, especially since you say he was supposed to kill her, but keep in mind that he did save her life countless times. He took his mission from Kakashi to protect her seriously at least. And Sakura loved him; she always will,"

Sasuke grew increasingly anxious to hear what else he had to say. He was finally learning of the man that had first taken Sakura's heart.

"He asked me to take care of them if anything was to happen to him," Naruto continued "He was always aware of the dangers of his secret life, even after he quit the CIA to be with them. The agency had no choice but to let him go, and threatening him wouldn't work. He was one of our best, and more than capable of going underground with his family. Kakashi didn't want to lose Sakura or her new baby so he relented. Sai loved her. There was no question about that,"

Sasuke's antagonism towards the man known as Sai turned to steel, and for good reason.

He didn't dare go back to Sakura's house after he left to find information about Sai, even though he knew that photographs had to have been in her possession. After searching every archive he could think of, turning up blank after blank after blank, he finally found a picture of the man that had always been in the middle of it all.

He had stared into the face of Sai. He might as well have just looked in a mirror.

Slight differences be damned! This was the man? This was the man that first held her heart? A nearly perfect copy of himself?

Rage was all he could feel. He thought back to the very first moment he had ever laid eyes on Sakura, all those months ago in his office. He remembered thinking how green her eyes were…and just how wide they were with what he now knew was shock. When she saw him for the first time, she wasn't really seeing him. She saw Sai. And how could she not?! How could he blame her when he himself was stunned by the resemblance?

He didn't blame her. He couldn't! But that didn't stop the raging jealously that consumed him. Thoughts of Sai holding her, kissing and loving her, having her whispering his name in the heat of passion and finally giving him a son; all for the man that was supposed to be her end filtered through his mind.

Sasuke wanted to hate him. He wanted it more than anything else at the time, but he couldn't even do that. Not when he knew Sai was the only thing that kept her alive and had given her Sora. He just couldn't hate him for learning to love her; something he had succumbed to as well.

But it was apparent that Naruto didn't have his facts straight about the man.

"Sai never quite the CIA Dobe," Sasuke said after gathering his thoughts. "Remember, ROOT designed their Agents to be expendable, and Sai was no exception. They used him for missions and he had no choice but to do them, because now they had something to use against him,"

"Are you telling me they threatened his family?" Naruto asked. He never saw much of Sai in the two years that followed that night, but he had never heard of him doing anymore missions for the agency.

"The division he was working for wanted her dead," Sasuke said. "Suddenly he defies them and keeps her alive. ROOT knows better than to touch her after that, but now Sai's a liability. He knows too much. At the same time they can't exactly get rid of him themselves. Sai would see it coming and dodge them, so they compromise. They'll leave his wife and son alone so long as he still does their dirty work. He had no choice,"

"Those bastards..," Naruto said thinking back to the day Sai asked him for help. Sai's behavior the day Sora was born made more sense now.

"_I entertain death every day I'm out there," said Sai. "And now my greatest weakness was born only hours ago….There's a reason why Danzo is so against family ties in ROOT…I need to know that I can count on you, should anything ever happen to me," _

That was why he pleaded with Naruto to look out for his family. He wasn't afraid of former enemies. He was afraid of ROOT and that bastard Danzo. Sai knew better than anyone what ROOT was capable of. Knowing the dirty waters that ran within the agency was making Naruto sick. Sai really had little choice in the matter. But then, it might explain one other question that had yet to be answered. "How did he die?"

Sasuke waited a beat. "Even I don't know how that happened," he said. "Root was in league with Sound. By the time of Sai's death, the former Sound organization had already been disbanded for years. But I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that ROOT had a hand in keeping Sound alive, at least until it was advantageous to them,"

Naruto was reeling on the inside. There was so much to keep up with, and everything was crossing over with something else. Finding Sakura and the kids was going to be challenging. It was then that a thought had struck him.

"What else do you know about Sai?" he asked.

"What I just told you," Sasuke replied. Naruto turned to him, assessing whether that was all he knew, or if he was holding something back. Naruto just noticed that Sasuke spoke about the perp as if he had no connection to Sai. He didn't know after all.

That's gotta be a first.

"I guess there's something you missed after all," Naruto said. Sasuke gave him a glance, narrowing his eyes.

"And that would be?" he asked.

"Sai has a brother…" he said, letting the statement linger. Sasuke didn't show any reaction.

"Sai _had_ a brother," Sasuke said. "Both were recruited into ROOT, and the brother never made it out. The only time that happens is if they didn't survive the training,"

"Understand this," Naruto started. "Sai _still_ has a brother; a living breathing brother that's been a part of this mess from the beginning. The CIA has the proof, but we're missing the motive. We think the brother is the one responsible for all this"

Sasuke was silent for few minutes, letting the statement linger. Naruto didn't know what was going through his mind, but it was clear he wasn't expecting that. It was frustrating, because up until this point, Sasuke was putting a lot of the pieces together for him. That fact that he wasn't aware of the brother just made the guy more of a wild card.

"…But….you know that he isn't the one don't you?" Naruto asked. "You know who's really responsible for all this, and there's no way you would miss a major detail like Sai having a brother. So that means it's someone else,"

"You're sure about the brother" Sasuke stated.

"Yeah…," Naruto answered. "You…really didn't know about him?" he asked, only to receive silence. Sasuke's eyes remained emotionless, but the inside of his mind was processing this new bit of info. If the brother was alive, then that added a new crossroad to this mess.

Naruto knew Sasuke was done spilling any more info. When he got contemplative like that, it usually meant he was in the process of piecing things together. He had known the guy long enough to know that much. But while he was doing that, Naruto needed to give the agency something to push them in the right direction. He needed to know what Sasuke knew.

"Where are they?" Naruto asked again, referring to Sakura and the children. "Who really took them? If you won't tell me where we're going then at least tell me who's doing this. Give the agency something. You know we're going to need them to back us up. Even you don't have all the answers,"

Sasuke didn't have to look at him, but he knew the Dobe and better yet, he knew and trusted one person in the CIA that would cover the other matter he had on his mind. With that security in mind, he consented to at least throw him a bone.

"Yakushi," Sasuke said. Naruto tilted his head, racking his brain to recall that name. "Kabuto Yakushi. Start from there,"

"Kabuto Yakushi….," Naruto muttered before busting out his communicator. "That's all they'll need," he said, connecting to Kakashi and bracing himself for the wheels they just set in motion.

* * *

**CIA Analysis Division**:

Shikamaru continued to concentrate on the display as it sorted through the names of the men filtered out from Sakura's past. Finally, one name highlighted.

"And it's down to one now," he said. "What do you guys think?" he asked. Neji, Lee, Kiba ,Ino, Tenten and Hinata lifted their eyes from the analysis to take a look. .

"I know that guy," Neji said after a moment. "It's…"

"Kabuto Yakushi," Kakashi stated walking into the vicinity. Heads turned to see their Commander putting his communicator down. He had been in the infirmary with Anko after he learned that Itachi had rendered her unconscious before escaping.

After relaying the Intel about a possible dirty Agent, Anko all but kicked him out after she drilled it into his brain that she and the baby were fine and to do his damn job. It was at that moment when he received Naruto's message. He made good on his promise after all. "According to Uchiha…and apparently our own analysis…" he said glancing at the face on the screen. "…that's our perp,"

"That creepy bastard," Tenten said shuddering. "He was at the Gala. I remember him being there,"

"That had to be the first attempt at taking the kids," Tsunade said as she also came into the room after receiving the message as well. Anko practically threw her out of her own medical ward, but Tsunade recognized the signs she was emitting, and knew the onset of labor wasn't far away. She made sure Shizune was nearby to handle that.

"And I'd say he fits the profile we were talking about," Shikamaru said as he accessed any information they had on Yakushi. "Say's here he was found as a child in an abandoned city way up north. He was taken in at an orphanage in the surrounding area where he stayed until he was about ten. He disappeared after that and resurfaced as a med student in Tokyo U. The same graduating class as Sakura,"

"That has to be the guy," Kakashi said. "The years of missing tracks could be the time where he came across Orochimaru,"

"He fits the type," Tsunade said walking up to the data displayed and sifting through the info rapidly. "He was orphaned, intelligent, needing a role in life; the perfect subject for Orochimaru to lure into apprenticeship. He crossed paths with Sakura around the time we took down Sound. Whether he was fixated on her at that point is yet to be distinguished. Sai was alive at the time,"

"It gets worse," Shikamaru relayed. "…he's was a biogenetics major that's been globe-trotting for the better part of the last five years. His last known location was China,"

"Shit," Kiba cursed. "You think he has any intention of taking them all the way back to China? We've kept our tracking teams within the greater Tokyo area. We never considered him taking them out of the country"

"I don't think he would do that," Neji piped in. "If he's the cause for Japan's abductions, then it wouldn't make sense logistically for him to transport them back to another country. He's still here somewhere,"

"We need to find them quickly," Tenten said as she assessed the topographical map once more. "The weather is not in our favor and it's getting worse. Massive thunder and lightning storms are rolling in as we speak,"

"Shino has got to have something more by now on that tracker," Kakashi said. As if on cue, the screen before them highlighted Shino's alert. Shikamaru opened up the channel of communication, displaying Shino in the lab.

"We've got a location," Shino said getting straight to the point. "Not only that, I've managed to configure a signal from the second device and pair it with faint signals from Naruto's disabled tracking chip, allowing me to trace both receivers. Uchiha's on the move, and heading straight towards the perp's hideout," he said displaying the information before them.

"Nice work Shino," Kakashi said before connecting his communicator to Asuma and Guy.

"_What's the news Kakashi_?" Asuma asked. Guy could be heard rambling in the background.

"We've got a location," Kakashi said. "Ready the teams and prepare for infiltration. Those remaining will focus on locating Itachi Uchiha and his possible role in all this,"

"You leave Itachi to me," Tsunade said. "The rest of you are to help in the mission," she said. Kakashi nodded in agreement as he made his way out of the room. Everyone, save for Tsunade followed. Something had caught her eye not long ago, and she was careful not to blurt anything out. It was time to start digging.

* * *

**Shin's POV**:

"_Here," Shin said handing the neatly wrapped package to his brother. The younger dark haired one looked up in surprise at him, before accepting the package. _

"_What is this?" he asked_

"_Open it," _

"_It's a sketchbook," his brother said in wonder. _

"_You've always wanted one brother," said Shin. He had forgotten his brother's name after they were both found in an accident somewhere. Both their memories were spotty, but after being here in ROOT for so long, it didn't matter anymore. He was just happy being called brother. _

"_I'm going to put drawings of us in there. It can be a story about you and me," he exclaimed happily. _

"_Show it to me when it's done. Promise me, man to man that you will," said Shin. _

"_Yeah!"_

**…_.._**

"_Brother, I have a drawing I want to show you later," said his little brother enthusiastically as he sketched on the floor._

"_Eh? What is it?" asked Shin._

"_It's not done yet...so can you wait a little longer?" he asked. _

And so he had waited. He had seen his brother working on a drawing in the middle of the book, but was forced to leave him before he was able to complete it. Shin had never seen what his brother had drawn…until now.

Shin opened the door to her chambers and slipped inside before locking it. Her eyes were closed, but her uneven breathing said she wasn't asleep. She blearily opened her eyes and closed them again when she saw it was him.

He grabbed hold of the restraints on her wrists and pulled them off, shocking her out of her stupor. She didn't have time to do anything else as he grabbed hold of her shoulders and hauled her up before him. She saw red in his eyes and immediately sought to protect herself anyway she knew how. He looked crazed.

"Where did you get this?" Shin asked holding up Sai's book before her. "Why do you have this book?" he yelled, his hand digging into her right arm. She twisted in his hold and managed to pull free before his other arm swung around and pulled her back against his chest. His arms held her in a vice grip, his breathing harsh and unsteady in her ear as he spoke.

"Don't push me Sakura," he said menacingly. "Answer me. Where did you get this book?"

Sakura glanced down at the book that had fallen near her feet. It was the book she found in Sai's possessions; the one filled with drawings and information pertaining to the CIA. She didn't know what caused him to behave this way, but clearly something in the book had set him off.

"Answer me!" he yelled, increasing his grip on her. His arms were like two metal bars pressing into her body. She was completely subdued. The hostility in his voice made the choice to cooperate for her.

"It…belonged to my husband," she said. "Let go of me,"

"You're lying!" he said turning her around and pushing her against the wall so she faced him. "Don't you dare lie to my face! I want to know exactly where you found this book. Did your father give it to you? Did that bastard Uchiha have it? Where did you get it!" he shouted.

"It was in my own attic among my husband's things!" she screamed. "What? Did you miss it when you went raiding through my house? Get off of me!" she yelled before bringing up her knee in an attempt to subdue him. He was quick to catch her and pin her arms and legs down with his own body.

"Who was your husband? How did he get a hold of that book?" he demanded.

"It belonged to him!" she shouted. "I don't know how he got it but that book was his! I found it at home! It's been with me ever since he died!"

"That's impossible!" he shouted.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"That book should never have been in your husband's possessions. It's impossible for him to have had it,"

"How? How would you know that?" she asked. "I don't know where Sai got it but why would it be impossible for him to have had it? What's wrong with you?"

"I know it never belong to him," he said increasing his grip on her, making her flinch. "Because years ago, I gave this very same book to my _brother_!" he said. "Now tell me, why the hell would your husband have my brother's book?"

"What?" Sakura asked, confusion swirling in her head. "How would I know?"

"He was your husband. You should have known everything about him," he said.

"I didn't know anything about anyone in my life!" she shouted as the strength from her anger surfaced. "Everything I have ever known for my entire life was a lie! My world came crashing down on me only a few damn days ago! You know all this. That sick bastard Kabuto knew about this. Everyone knew the truth but me! Even my own husband lied to me, and they thought it was all to keep me safe," she said laughing darkly at the sick truth. She was losing it. "And look where I ended up,"

He assessed her psychological state as she went from laughing to crying in a few seconds. He released her wrists and stepped back. She slumped against the wall and tried to gather her wits.

Shin tried to control himself as he thought about the situation. His shock at the book prevented him from remembering that everything she said was true. The truth _was _kept from her on all sides. How was she to know anything about CIA activities? She claimed her husband took this book, and Shin knew that he was CIA.

He crouched down before her as she looked up at him from her position on the floor. She had gathered herself, he thought as he saw the steel return in her eyes. She was tough; he'll give her that much. But he needed to get to the bottom of this, and soon. He picked up the book and held it before her.

"Your husband," he began. "He got this from somewhere. It didn't belong to him,"

Sakura looked at him with exasperation and exhaustion in her eyes. "And how would you know that?" she asked. "It's just a book. It has Sai's name in it. It has his handwriting in it. Why are you so insistent that it's not his?"

He simply opened the book, and turned to the page that told him the truth. He held it out before her.

Sakura stared at the two pages. She saw those drawings before when she repeatedly flipped through the book. She never gave it a second thought as she was too busy reading the info Sai had written about the Sound Organization. This was proof that the book belonged to Sai.

She tilted her head to the side and gave him a wry smile. "That's _your _proof?" she asked with amusement. She took the book from his hands and turned it to face him. "It's _my _proof. It proves what I've been telling you. This is my husband's book…and that's my Sai," she said turning it to face him and pointing to the page with his brother on it. "There's no way this belongs to your brother,"

Shin stared at the drawing as the blood in his veins froze.

He looked back at her when she turned the book to look at the drawing herself. Her gaze lingered over the drawing of his brother longingly. Her hand moved over it in a weak caress.

She was telling the truth. But that was impossible! The implications were just completely impossible! It couldn't be! There was no way her husband was the owner of that book… because that would mean…

"What did he look like?" he asked quietly. Sakura looked up at him questioningly. "What did your husband look like?" he asked again.

"Sai looks just like this," she said indicating the book. "It's his likeness. He drew this himself. He was an artist…he loved to draw, just like our son…," she said stopping when the expression on his face changed.

Shin was frozen in place as the bottom dropped from his stomach. He felt as if everything was tilted of its axis. She believed herself to be telling the truth. She didn't understand the ramifications of what she was saying to him. This couldn't be true.

And then he remembered the boy; how that nagging feeling plagued him since he first saw him.

Sakura didn't understand what had him behaving this way. The look on his face was frightening. She glanced back at drawings, trying to see what he saw. It was a picture of Sai, no doubt about it. What was so confusing about that? Her eyes skimmed the next page of the other figure holding hands with…

Her eyes locked onto the other drawing. She didn't know how she missed the connection before, but it snapped back into place sending a jolt of electricity running through her veins. It looked familiar, because it was a drawing of the same figure that Sora had been creating in his own drawings.

Sai was holding hands…with the man who was right in front of her.

She looked back and forth between the drawing and him, her breath picking up the pace as the connection was being made.

Shin saw the truth forming in her eyes when her green irises widened in both shock and horror. He knew then that everything had just gone to hell.

"It's….it's you?" she whispered. "This is you," she said when Shin's eyes locked onto hers.

He stood up abruptly and bolted out of the room before locking it. Sakura didn't even have time to react, let alone escape. She was frozen in place.

Shin made a beeline for the lab. It was insanity. It was pure unimaginable insanity to think what he was thinking; what was beginning to make less sense as time passed. But everything else began to connect.

If this was true, there was one way to make damn sure there wasn't any mistake. He opened up the lab and snuck into the back, making sure that no one saw him. He didn't pay attention to the activity that was going on, but simply began to sift through the paperwork that was there.

The door opened and one of the lab rats spotted him. "Hey your not-" he didn't get to finish as Shin lunged and knocked him out in a split second. He closed the door and dumped the body in the corner. He went back and found the file labeled with the project name.

He pulled it up from the computer and accessed the blood work done on both of the kids.

He pulled up the boy's info and saw as his DNA strand highlighted before him. Shin wasted no time puncturing his finger and letting the blood drip on the comparison slot in the machine next to him. He pressed start for the analysis to begin and waited in the highest tension as the machine began to process his DNA. It took a full 30 minutes for the process to occur.

Thankfully, no one else had happened to come into the room within that time. The lab rat on the floor had woken up, and before he could utter a single shout, Shin had him subdued again. He dumped the body in the corner again just as the computer signaled the completion of the analysis.

Shin launched himself at the computer and the results of his DNA displayed. He selected the boy's DNA and initiated a comparison.

Shin felt his heart stop when several strands illuminated themselves in a genetic match.

The boy was of his blood. The boy, whose face had him reaching in the back of his memory since the very beginning, now made the connection.

He was the son of his brother.

**…..**

Sakura jumped when the door opened again. He had come back, and saw that she was still in the same spot on the floor where he had left her. Shin wasted no time making his way over to her and pulling her up off the floor.

He watched her stare at him in disbelief. She, who had known his brother and given him a son, was trembling in his arms in utter confusion.

Sakura snapped back to her senses and pulled away from him as if his touch burned her.

"Who the hell are you?" she hissed. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked holding the book, which she had not put down for even a moment, in the air before him. "Who are you?"

"We haven't got much time," Shin said. "Listen to me Sakura," he said stepping towards her.

"Don't come anywhere near me!" she shouted. "Stay away from me. You broke into my house," she said. "You tried to kill me, you tried to hurt my son. You took my children away from me and you want to kill Sasuke and you're playing this sick game with Kabuto. Who are you, and why are you here next to my Sai?"

"It's true," he said accepting what it was. "It's all true. That bastard…" he said referring to Kabuto. "That monster must have known all along. That's why he didn't want me anywhere near that lab," he said, more to himself than to her.

"What are you-"

"He's was my brother," he said. "He's _is_ my brother…"

"Who…" she said.

"The man you married. He was my brother," Shin declared. She reeled back in sheer shock. The denial was quick to follow.

"No he isn't," Sakura yelled. "Sai had no family and he never mentioned a brother. You're lying,"

"Sai…," he said letting the name linger in his head. "So that's what they called him," he said in a tone Sakura couldn't identify.

Sakura was about to scream in all the confusion that surrounded her, but Shin grabbed hold of her arms and held her in place.

"Listen to me Sakura and listen well," he said. "I am not lying. You married my brother. You had his child. It's the truth,"

"Sai had no family," she insisted. "He would have told me if he did,"

"Sai never knew I survived. He thought he had no family because he thought I was dead," he said. "And for all purposes I should have been dead. I know you don't believe me, and there's still so much you don't know, but it's the truth. We don't have any time. I need to get you out of here," he said.

"But…how…," Sakura's mind was reeling.

"I'm sorry," he said, making her look up at him in shock. "If I had known…if I had any idea…," he was finding it hard to form the words. "I'll kill that bastard Kabuto for this. I swear I will. But I need to get you and the kids out,"

He made sure the door was locked, and then tossed something in her direction. She caught it, and saw that it was the clothes she had been wearing when she was captured.

"Get dressed," he said. Sakura was in no condition to argue with him and quickly slipped into her pants and red tank with the circle on its back over her nightgown before sliding the gown off. She tossed the nightgown aside and pulled out the gloves from the pants pocket.

Shin watched her try to get them on. Her wrists were still red and swollen from the restraints, and he found himself shuffling through the cabinets for supplies. "Hold out your hands," he said.

Sakura looked at him questioningly before he took her hands in his and began to tend to her wrists. He cleaned the skin with alcohol, hanging on tight when the burn had her pulling back. She watched as he applied more ointment on them before wrapping each wrist with white gauze.

She studied him, letting his words sink into her brain. He didn't look very much like Sai. It was hard to believe him on the genetic side. But when she looked back into his complexion, and focused on his bones structure, Sakura could see a few similarities. She also knew that he was ill.

Now that she paid attention, she could see the subtle signs of a weakened body. His whole demeanor had changed since he cornered her with the book. He was in shock, just as she was. And now he claimed he wanted to help her. It was too much to take in, too much to follow. But still…if this was all true, if he really was who he said he was…then…

"You really are Sai's brother…," Sakura whispered. He finished wrapping up her wrists and began putting the gloves on her. She held his hands back when he finished, forcing him look at her. He didn't know how to process the emotions he could see dancing in her eyes. "And you're ill…," she said.

Shin took a mental step back at the fact that she was able to assess that much just from looking at him. A gifted doctor indeed, he thought before his defenses were raised. He couldn't afford to waste any time, especially on himself. Now that he made his choice, it was only a matter of time before Kabuto found out. And when that happened, his time was limited. He knew his body would begin to weaken soon, and he needed to get them out of here before that happened.

"We need to move," he said, taking her hand and leading her towards the door.

"What's your name?" Sakura asked, stopping him just before they reached the door. He looked at her a moment before deciding to answer.

"…Shin," he said.

"Shin," she whispered. "…SHIN!"

She surprised them both when she threw her arms around him and held on tight. He didn't know how to react. Pulling her off him was impossible. The woman had strength like no other. She was crying into his shoulder as if he were family.

Sakura didn't think to process his past crimes, or to hold anything against him, just for right now. The moment she was able to believe him was the deciding factor. This was Sai's brother…_his brother; s_omeone who knew of Sai's past.

Shin was the final piece in all of this. He was the one who could make sense of it all, and he was also affected by this somehow. But the small glimmer of hope in her heart was all that was keeping her together at the moment. She held on to him tight.

"We need to get moving," Shin said, not knowing how to handle her. Sakura clung to him for a moment more before pulling back.

"There's no reason why you would make this up," Sakura said. "And we will talk about this later. For now, help me get my kids out here," she said. No sooner had the words left her mouth did the sirens erupt from the intercom.

"Clock starts now," Shin said, grabbing her hand and pulling her out into the hall. "They're in the lab, and the place is going into lockdown," he said, glancing back at her, surprised to see that the fatigue had been replaced by fire.

"Bring it on," she said.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**Stuff! **

**DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW THE CHAPTER! YOU KNOW I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS! THE LONGER THE BETTER! REVIEWS ARE MY ADDICTION! FEED MY HABIT buahahaha! **


	37. Into the Labyrinth

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 37: Into the Labyrinth**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Kabuto's POV:**

He heard the sirens go off, initiating lockdown. He glared at the intrusive noise, wondering why he bothered to make it so loud. It was interrupting his focus.

"Sir! There's been a-"

"Ssssilence fool," Kabuto rebuked. "I know what has transpired. Handle the matter and do not interrupt me again,"

He looked on as the transfusion was nearing its completion. He was so close. He could almost feel the power radiating from the experiment. He couldn't afford to wander at this point. "Curiosity often does kill the cat. This cat has a time limit. We just wait him out,"

* * *

Plans have a way of changing when you make rash decisions. That was what ran through his mind when he realized that gunning it to the lab without a plan, ammo, and another person in a weakened state would only hinder the mission.

The lab was going into lockdown. He had to get out before that happened. He grabbed Sakura's hand and yanked her in the opposite direction of the lab.

Sakura gasped, thinking that he meant to take her back to her holding cell and was about to ask him so, had he not cut her thoughts off at the pass.

"Change of plans," he said tugging her along a corridor. "Follow me and don't ask any questions until its safe," he said. He ran at such a pace that Sakura had difficulty breathing, let alone have the ability to ask him anything. He led her through corridor after corridor, each one getting seemingly darker than before.

Sakura tried to get a mental image of the layout of the place, but quickly got disoriented. She heard the alarms and the footsteps echoing from all around her. She had no choice but to follow Shin.

Shin knew there was only one way to get out without notice, and he had to take it. He went to the engineering room, opening the heavy iron door and shoving her inside before following and closing the door. The hum of noise from the broiler room shook the small area.

"Why-"

"Still not safe," Shin said kneeling down on the floor and opening up a latch. He pulled the square door up, revealing an underground chamber that smelled suspiciously like a sewer, with the smell hitting her senses like a bullet.

"Jump down," Shin ordered. She was about to protest when he jumped down before her. Sakura was left no choice as she dropped down. The smell hit her head on and left her paralyzed. Shin grabbed hold once again and headed toward a large pipe with clear water before she could get sick. He jumped in and dragged her with him. The ice cold water from the pipe dragged them through the dark tunnel before ejecting them from the end and into an embankment.

Sakura nearly fell on top of him as she was unceremoniously tossed from the pipe. She was soaked through and shivering. Shin didn't fare any better. He landed in the mud and his entire back portion was dirty.

Both were coughing up the water they ingested.

Sakura rolled away from him and lay in a puddle as the past few minutes circled her head. What the hell had just happened?

"What was that!" she yelled before coughing up more water. She was still heavily disoriented and rolled over as the contents from her stomach bubbled from the ride.

Sakura gave in to the nausea from before and promptly vomited whatever was left in her stomach.

Shin could still be heard coughing and rummaging around. She didn't pay much attention as her head was spinning and she now had a bad taste in her mouth. Gathering as much control over her body as possible, she forced herself to get up.

Sakura recovered much faster than he did, raising her concern when his coughing fit had him turning away from her and wiping his mouth. He quickly got up and walked back to the pipe and stood beneath it, allowing the flowing water to wash the mud off him.

Sakura found her bearings and walked over to him as he emerged from the water.

"Why are we outside?" she asked. "It might be impossible to get back in now that we're out,"

"I know the layout of this place thorough and through. If we stayed, there wouldn't be anywhere we could have hidden that he wouldn't have checked," he said before taking hold of her hand and pulling her along.

"What's he doing to them?" she shouted, stopping in her tracks. "Did you see what he was…" she couldn't continue as the fear of what might be happening to them made her head spin. "We can't wait out here, I need to get back inside!" she said, turning to walk in the opposite direction.

Shin yanked her back and held tight. "We're not going anywhere now. You don't even know where they are,"

"I can't just sit here and wait. I need to get them out," she shouted.

"Think for a second!" he said. "You go walking back in there and Kabuto will just subdue you again. Then where will you be? He wants you. Don't give him the opportunity to get to you,"

Sakura knew exactly why Kabuto wanted her. The horror of what Kabuto had told her earlier came back and hit her body with a force like no other. The contents of her stomach came surfacing once more. She pulled away from Shin and barley made it to the shrubbery surrounding the pipe before she vomited violently.

She was reaching her breaking point, mentally and physically. This was all a nightmare and she didn't even know if anyone knew where they were. Sasuke, her father, Naruto…she didn't know where any of them were.

Shin approached her heaving form. Not knowing what to do, he stood behind her, letting her get it all out. This was to be expected. They had been keeping her hydrated, but since she refused to eat, the medications that lingered in her system were being rejected. He should have brought her a protein bar or something. He wasn't thinking in light of the revelations. He needed to have a clear head on his shoulders from now on.

"….shit…," Sakura muttered cupping her hands underneath the gushing pipe and washing her mouth out. "What kind of meds did you use?" she nearly groaned.

"Sedatives and hydration fluids. This is why I kept prompting you to eat," he said.

"Like I was going to listen to you then," she said fiercely. "Listening even now is still questionable. I'll get the whole damn story from you another day. I need to get to my kids,"

"Now that you've begun to get sick, it's going to continue for a while," he said. She looked at him questioningly. "You've had nothing but meds for almost 36 hours," he said.

Sakura's eyes widened. "We've been here that long?" she asked. She had no sense of how much time had passed since the abduction, but almost two days?

Being raised as a "cops" daughter taught her all kinds of things about abductions. Mainly that the first 48 hours were the most crucial in locating missing persons. She knew this was an extraordinary circumstance, but then again, everyone she knew was in extraordinary positions. That it would take this long for them to find her sent all kinds of doubt into her system. It made her feel sick again, but she held it down. Dehydration would serve no purpose now.

"You need to rest for a few minutes. Your weakened state will do them no good," he said when she looked ready to argue again. "They're alive…for now," he said, not sparing her any of the possibilities of what could be happening to them. "I will get them out, I promise you. But we have to wait,"

"Wait for what?" she nearly shouted. She was so ready to stomp down those halls and mercilessly take down anyone who stood in her way, even though she knew it was reckless. Was she expecting Shin to shove her into the water mane? Hell no. Now that he did, the experience left her winded, soaked through, and cold.

"You're exhausted," Shin stated. "Rest a bit,"

Sakura didn't have the stability to argue with him. The burning need to reach her babies was overwhelming, and though she hadn't eaten in what felt like eternity, she was still felt ready to gag.

She took several deep breaths to calm her beating heart.

"Breath slower or you'll start to hyperventilate," he told her. She sent him a glare, but did as she was told. Breathing the cold air was brutal on her sinuses, but it helped control her stomach.

Shin led her to a low hanging tree immersed in the vegetation surrounding the water pipes. He took the time to try and process everything he had learned in just this past hour. Kabuto had manipulated him the entire time. His brother had survived ROOT life and made it to adulthood. The woman he had been tracking had married him. But the most damaging thing that topped everything else was that he had a nephew.

After a few moments of relative silence, save for the roaring of water coming from the pipe, Sakura gathered enough control over herself, and she wanted answers.

"Do you know what he has planned for them?" she asked. Shin looked at her and debated whether or not to let her get any answers. One question inevitably leads to more, and eventually she would get to the root of his involvement in all this. Best tread carefully.

"I know what his end goal is," he started. "Kabuto thinks he can revive the dead and play with DNA like they're Legos waiting to be built into whatever he wants. He's got the intellect and the history to back that assumption up. But he's been waiting for the chance to get the Sharingan for the longest time,"

Sakura stilled at the mention of Sharingan. It was then that she remembered what Kabuto had told her when she regained consciousness.

"_One the one hand, you have a true Uchiha, born with both the genes of the Sharingan and the cursed mark, only the carrier is a girl. I need the strength of a boy"_

There was no mention of the Sharingan in Sai's book. Kabuto claimed her father was a Sharingan user, and that Suki also had it. She was too shocked to register the foreign term at the time, but now…

"What is the Sharingan?" Sakura asked. "Kabuto said he needed it and that Suki and my father have it. What is it?"

Shin stared at her with stoic interest in her lack of knowledge on the topic. If she didn't know about that, what else didn't she realize existed out there?

"You really have no idea of the dark secrets around you," Shin muttered, more to himself before he decided to tell her.

"You think?" she said dryly. He almost smirked.

"The Sharingan is a technique, if you will," he started. "To be more precise, it's a genetically altered mutation of the human eye that offers the "_user_" a variety of abilities," he said pausing to see if she was following him. She nodded for him to continue, though he could see the shock of that news in her eyes. "How this type of ability was created is unknown, but the Sharingan eye can see every detail, slow down perception of movement, memorize events in sequences, and even allows the ability to mimic and control an opponent. It's an inherited ability unique to only one bloodline: the Uchiha Clan,"

She braced herself for what he might say. It still didn't help dial down the shock. "They're born that way" she stated.

"According to the research the ability exists from birth, but the Sharingan first emerges later in life, when the user is under extreme stress or emotional instability,"

"…What does it look like?" she asked hesitantly.

"A red iris and split pupils formed a variety of ways, each unique to the user," he answered.

Sakura closed her eyes in reflection. So that's what she had seen when Sasuke was shot. The Sharingan emerged then. Then she remembered his blood red eyes scaring her and haunting her dreams thereafter. Now she knew that was no trick of the eye.

She also just realized that it was probably the only thing that saved him that day.

"There are more abilities out there," Shin continued. "The phenomenon is known as Kekkei Genkai, because they are bound to one bloodline and passed genetically. The Uchiha's possess the Sharingan, and all those born from a user are carriers,"

"That's why he needed Suki," she whispered.

"Yes. She became a necessity as soon as he realized your son wasn't a blood born Uchiha," said Shin. "He never planned on taking the girl until he discovered that she was the one with the Sharingan in her blood,"

She just couldn't imagine Suki possessing such ability. The thought of her beautiful green eyes morphing into the Sharingan terrified her. "He plans on infusing that into Sora,"

"At the Uchiha girl's expense," he said. "Her safety isn't Kabuto's concern, but she holds the Kekkei Genkai he needs. She hasn't unleashed the ability yet. It emerges at different times for all users. The girl may not survive the process,"

Sakura snapped at the thought.

"She will survive! And her name is Suki," Sakura said. "She's _my_ child now. And I will not let her die do you understand me?" she shouted. Shin simply nodded; the apathy in regards to Suki's life still present in his eyes. Sakura noticed alright, which raised a new question.

"Answer me one more question," she said "Why do you hate Sasuke?"

He visibly tensed at the name. He knew she would get to the root of the matter. "He took something from me that I'll never get back. Vengeance was all I had to live for,"

"And what did he take from you?" she asked, receiving no reply. He was staring into her eyes, thinking about how much they reminded him of his loss. "What could he have possibly taken that wouldn't make you care that by killing Sasuke, you would orphan a little girl who had already lost her mother,"

"That baby was the reason Aya died!" he shouted with more force than he intended. "She was never supposed to be with that Uchiha but she was forced! She never would have done so otherwise. I blamed him and I forced myself not to care about that child's well-being. Revenge was all I cared about,"

He cursed his loss of control as he stared into her wide green eyes; the very same shade of green that haunted him every night since Aya's death.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sakura spoke. "Suki's _mother_" she whispered in shock. "That's what Sasuke took from you," Sakura whispered, realizing the truth of it when she saw the pain in his eyes. "You were in love with her…,"

"She didn't have a choice," Shin said abruptly. "I know she didn't have a choice, even though she told me otherwise. I saw it in her eyes. It's all because of _him!_" he seethed.

"How do you know that?" she asked. "How can you be so sure he forced her to marry him? That's not something he would do,"

"And you know him so well right?" he asked sarcastically.

"I know what kind of man he is," she said forcefully. "Everyone has a past and though I don't know what was in his, I know who he is today. You must be mistaken about the marriage. You can't take it out on Sasuke without knowing what really happened,"

But Shin wasn't ready to listen to that. "I promised you I would get the kids out. Don't expect anything when it comes to Sasuke Uchiha," he warned. His hate was still beyond his control, clouding any reasoning. It was all he had to live for in these past years "It doesn't matter now that I know everything isn't as it seems. I still have beef with Uchiha but I have even more with Kabuto now,"

Sakura knew she would have to do what she could to diffuse his anger when the time came, but the focus on the children was more important. "So what do we do?" she asked.

"I created my own entry way on the other side of the premises. The main lab is in the central part of the building. By now, that's where Kabuto should be keeping them, but this entire layout is maze. It's tunnel after tunnel of confusion if you aren't familiar with it" he said, quickly turning away as another coughing fit erupted from his throat.

"Shin…" she reached out to him, but he quickly side stepped her and regained control of himself. "Shin what's wrong with you?" she demanded.

"It's nothing," he said. "We need to move quickly. I should get you something dry to wear,"

"Forget the clothes," she said just as thunder erupted from overhead. Rain began to fall, soaking them through once again. Shin guided her further into the tree canopy and crouched down with her there. The tree provided sufficient enough protection from the downpour.

"Lockdown is in full effect now," he said letting his gaze go to the seemingly natural landscape. "It'll take him 30 minutes to determine that we're not in there before he sends the security outside. The opportunity to get back inside will be when they come out. Once that happens we need to get in, and recommence lockdown to prevent them from getting back inside,"

"What about the CIA?" she asked. "How would they get in in?"

Shin gave her a calculating look. "They won't," he said. "Precautions were taken to ensure that they wouldn't find you. They don't even know where to begin tracing you,"

"What precautions?" she asked, suppressing the fear at that bit of info.

"Too many to get into," he said. "We've known who we were dealing with since the gala. The CIA hasn't been able to identify us for months, and there's nothing to suggest that they'll figure it out anytime soon. They have no leads so hoping for them to come isn't going to help matters. You have no choice but to trust me for now,"

All kinds of emotions surrounded her mind in seconds, but she chose to focus on determination. "Fine," she whispered.

She had no choice. She had to trust that he would get them out of this mess. Learning about their true connection to each other clearly changed his attitude toward her and the children, but Sasuke was another issue that could be addressed later.

Right now she had to get a handle on herself. She closed her eyes for a few minutes to process everything she had learned. Had Shin not been watching her so intently, he would have missed the way she frowned before her eyes opened wide. He was about to give her instructions on his plan, but something clearly troubled her.

"What is it?" he asked. Sakura continued to look out into the night's air, but didn't answer him right away. Finally she turned to him in an indecipherable face. She searched his eyes and hardened her resolve.

"We have to get out of this," she said. "All of us. Whatever you've done in the past, whatever you intended to do in the future, it doesn't matter anymore Shin. What matters is what's happening now," she declared.

"So you'll trust me," he said.

"Yes…," she whispered. The last time she was told to trust someone, she was left alone to her own devices. But Shin was her only chance now.

* * *

**Kabuto's POV:**

Kabuto entered the room, his eyes zeroing in on the little Uchiha girl. She was still unconscious and hooked up to the monitors like she was supposed to be. When he first began his endeavor, he never considered taking the girl. They boy was all that mattered, until he realized he lacked Uchiha blood. That's when the girl became necessary. When he saw them at the Gala for the first time he naturally assumed they were of the same blood.

And Sakura let him think that.

He spent years pining for her ever since he saw her for the first time in university. If there was anything Kabuto deemed worthy of respect, it was intelligence, and he recognized a great mind like Sakura immediately. How could he not notice a young, beautiful prodigy like her? He watched her closely and felt his admiration for her grow into an obsession. She was the embodiment of perfection, even though he forced himself to realize she wasn't perfect. Still, he couldn't control his desire to have her for himself, and if it was one thing he could not stand, it was lack of control.

Orochimaru watched him like a hawk when they had worked together. He would know if Kabuto showed any weakness in front of him. So he forced himself to stay away from her, until the time came where he was safe enough to take her. Years later, he came back to finally pursue his goal and he finds her with two little brats that he thought belonged to none other than Sasuke Uchiha; Orochimaru's own obsession.

The wheels started turning in his head the moment he saw those two raven haired children. Now the time was near. Sakura escaping didn't bother him. He knew she wouldn't leave those two brats behind. And his little minion didn't bother him either. He was secure in knowing that he carried an expiration date without the medication he had been providing him.

He looked at the girl again. The process was almost complete, and he would have no further need for her blood. But, given that his cherry blossom had escaped, he would need something to lure her into his trap. He placed his scaly hand on the glass incubator and stared down at the sleeping child. He believed he had the proper bait for that.

* * *

**Sakura's POV**:

Sakura didn't realize she drifted off to sleep until she woke up to the sound of coughing. She was warmer than she remembered, and she saw a small fire burning in the center of their makeshift hideout. Shin was sitting near the entrance, coughing nonstop.

"Shin?" She whispered.

He managed to get control over himself quickly and ceased his coughing. Sakura saw him wipe his mouth once more before turning to look at her. She moved to get closer to him, but he motioned for her to stay where she was.

He got up and came closer to her. Sakura assessed him as he added small twigs to the fire to keep it going. He pulled a blanket out of nowhere and handed it to her.

"How did you-"

"I infiltrated the supplies unit while you were out," he said quickly as he wrapped it around her shoulders.

"You went back inside? Why didn't you-"

"Because you needed to rest and it still wasn't the time to get the kids back," he said in a clipped voice. "Sakura, I'm going to get those kids out but I need to you listen to my instructions and keep a level head,"

She opened her mouth to retaliate, but closed it when she couldn't think of anything to say. He added some more twigs to the small fire; enough to keep her warm but not big enough to notice in the shrubbery. It was still pouring rain outside and a few droplets of water leaked from the thick branches above them.

Sakura wrapped the blanket around shoulders and assessed him carefully. His complexion was slightly paler than she remembered, and there was a slight pinking hue around his mouth. He could feel her watching him, and knew the inevitable questions would soon come.

"I know that you're sick," she began. "I noticed before, but this has been going on for a long time hasn't it?"

He stopped what he was doing and simply stared at her. When it was apparent he wasn't going to reply anytime soon, Sakura continued to dig.

"It's bad isn't it?" she asked. Silence was all she had gotten. Soon enough she realized that silence was confirmation. Using her keen observation skills, she began to analyze him as best she could. His ashen complexion spoke volumes. If she had to guess right off the bat, he had some sort of condition of the blood.

"It's chronic," she continued. "It's probably what contributed to your hair color. It's affecting your lungs and you're coughing a lot. The hue around your mouth means that there's some blood coming up with your cough,"

Shin stayed silent, watching her piece together his illness. She was good, he'll give her that much. "Are you done with my physical exam?" he asked wryly.

"I don't think I'll ever be done," she said. "Tell me this Shin, does Kabuto know about your illness?"

Shin decided to tell her everything. There was no point in keeping it from her. "He found me at a clinic in China. Told me he was a doctor working on a blood treatment that could help me live on. I participated in his experiments and stayed on when I saw that they worked. He had created specialized pills that regenerate blood cells without the need for transfusion. I need one pill a day to stay alive. In return, I'd work for him, though knowing that he knew who I was the entire time changes things,"

"One a day?" Sakura repeated. "When was the last time you-"

"Eighteen hours ago," he answered. He saw her face fall and answered the next question before she could get it out. "I didn't manage to stock up before all this went down," he said, turning back to the fire and poking at the embers. He didn't want to see the look of pity that was inevitably etched on her face by now. He couldn't stand that; not after everything he put her through.

"What happens if you go longer than twenty four hours without the meds?" she asked. He looked back at her to find her with her eyes closed, as if in concentration.

"I become toxic," he answered.

Her brow furrowed at the news. It was worse than she thought. Kabuto had kept him alive long after his body was supposed to fail him. He was entirely dependent on those pills at this point, and even now at eighteen hours post administration, he was showing signs of withdrawal. It was really bad indeed.

After a while of not saying anything, Shin gave _her_ a good look.

She was physically drained. The small fire he made to keep her warm did nothing to dry her clothes and hair. How the hell did he think he could manage this with her in tow? He didn't think, and that was the problem. A change in her demeanor caught his attention. She looked like she was going to be sick again.

"I'm beginning to rethink letting you back in there," he said. She brought her hand up to her mouth to prevent gagging, but still managed to glare at him. "I'd be putting you right back into all that and it's too great a risk,"

"Don't even try it Shin," she said. "There is no way I am staying outside or running away. They're my kids and I have to get them back," she declared.

"I'll bring them back to you I swear I will," Shin said. "But we have to think things through. You're unarmed, exhausted and somewhat drugged. Your fatigue will slow you down,"

"My condition isn't as bad as it looks. I'm running on adrenaline here," she said.

"No you aren't," Shin said. "The adrenaline rush ended when you passed out," he said reaching into his bag and pulling out what looked like berries. "Eat these and get something into your system,"

Sakura didn't even recognize her hunger, but her body did. She sat and ate what she could, all the while trying to get a hold of herself. She had a berry midway to her mouth when she paused and put it back down.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, picking up the berry and placing it in her mouth. Shin wasn't in the mood to humor that lie, as everything they did from now on was crucial to their survival.

"I know something's up," he said. "Tell me now if it's going to affect you when we get back inside,"

"I'm fine," she insisted, slowly munching on more berries. "I was just thinking," she said.

"About what?" he asked poking at the fire and adding more small twigs.

"About Sai," she said, watching him stop his actions and slowly turn to look at her. It was the elephant in the room between them; the less immediate but probably most prevalent topic of discussion that was just now surfacing. "This may not be the best time…or the most appropriate setting," she began glancing around their makeshift hideout. "But…can you just tell me, something about him; something from his childhood? Anything would work,"

"You want to talk about this now?" he asked.

"I just need a distraction," Sakura said closing her eyes. "Just tell me something about him, please,"

Shin sensed there was still something else brewing in her mind, but decided to comply with her wishes.

"…First of all, his real name wasn't Sai," Shin began.

"What?"

"Sai wasn't his birth name. I'm pretty sure it wasn't at least," he said, toying with the fire once more. "My brother and I were involved in some sort of accident. I don't remember what happened. All I was told was that we were found hurt and abandoned near a deserted town. The only thing I remembered was my brother. I even forgot both of our names. We just called each other brother from then on, until we were given code names by the organization,"

"So…Sai and I trained for a special division of the CIA," he continued when she said nothing. "He looked a lot like your boy. He was a lackadaisical kind of kid, always making pictures in the dirt and cutting out carvings in tree bark," he said. "One day, I saved enough to go into town and buy him a sketchbook…," he said meeting her eyes. "On the last day I ever saw him, he told me he had a drawing he wanted to show me, but it wasn't finished. Because of my illness and some unforeseen circumstances I can't get into right now, I had to abandon him that very same day, letting him think I was dead. I never saw what he drew that day…until now,"

Sakura remembered the drawing of the two boys. From that alone, she knew that Sai loved his brother very much. Shin obviously loved him too.

"He never mentioned you," she said. "But obviously…he never forgot you,"

Shin stared at her, and she stared back. He didn't need to ask her about Sai's future, but the need to know was there in his eyes.

"I met him in high school," she said. "Our meeting wasn't by chance. He was a specialized CIA Agent assigned to protect me," she said recalling the night her father confessed the arrangement. "I thought it was strange. He didn't really know how to be around people, let alone talk to them. It got to me on more than one occasion. But there was something about him," she said, closing her eyes and remembering the pull she felt toward him. "There was something there I couldn't ignore; a loneliness about him that I could relate to. I really can't say. But it was there, and it was real. He was there for me for everything good and bad. He gave me a beautiful son, and before I knew it, I lost him. To this day, I don't know how he died or why. All I know is he's gone and now I can't help but wonder if something about his CIA life was the cause"

Shin's gaze didn't leave hers when he said "I know that it was". Sakura looked at him questioningly. "His end came at that time for a reason, of that I'm sure. It's just one more thing I have to avenge,"

* * *

**Sound Base Lab: **

The group of men dressed in dark grey science coats monitored the progress of the subject closely. Kabuto had made his sentiments known as far as what he expected from them, and no one wanted to disappoint him. He had also made clear what would happen should the experiments fail with this test subject. Failure wasn't an option.

"How much longer until we stimulate activity?" one of the scientists asked. The lead tech skimmed over the vital signs before answering.

"Subject appears stable," he said. "But we don't know how it'll react to stimulus and there's no way to predict how it would, given its age,"

"Either way, we don't make a move without Kabuto's say so," the other one said. "Try it and who knows what he'll do,"

"I know what he'll do," another one said. "I saw him do it to that red haired psycho a while back. She survived his retaliation, but I guarantee you we wouldn't, so hold your horses," he warned before a beeping sound caught their attention.

The one closest to the sound checked the readings. "Adrenaline is spiking," he said. "I don't understand, we didn't provide a stimulus,"

"How much has it spiked?"

"Too much. The other vitals are rising as well," he said as more lights flashed on the board. The other scientists gathered around the monitor and tried to control the levels, but they couldn't be overridden.

"Pump a sedative into the tank. It's waking up," the lead tech said. The shrill sound of activity rising made the tech scramble to grab a vile of sedatives and run into the holding cell. The others watched from the screen as the tech was seen racing to the chamber. The camera zoomed to the test subject, who still looked completely asleep.

They zoomed closer to the face. The subject's eyes suddenly opened a split second before the tank exploded into the cameras lens, blacking out the image. Every scientist in the room scrambled into the holding tank to see what was going on.

It would be a decision they would soon regret.

* * *

Shin and Sakura waited in the shrubbery by the entrance he mentioned earlier. True to his word, the Sound Operatives made their way outside, heavily armed with strange looking weapons that screamed shoot to kill.

Shin waited until he was sure the last guy was out before tossing a rock in the opposite direction. The sound drew their attention as they ran toward it, letting Shin and Sakura make a break for it into the door before it shut directly behind them.

"Lockdowns recommenced. We don't have much time now before they realize we aren't out there," he said.

"Then let's get moving," she said. He nodded and led her through the passageways, displaying his knowledge of the layout. Sakura immediately began to have doubts when she noticed that they didn't run into any resistance. It was eerily quiet, and Shin didn't seem the least bit phased. Doubt began to creep up on her. She wanted to question whether he was as unnerved as she was, but didn't when he squeezed her hand. She took it as a sign of assurance, because she had no choice but to trust him.

Even if he turned on her at the last minute, she would take him on.

The lack of noise made her more sensitive to his breathing, which was getting more ragged by the minute.

"_Mommy_," came the cry of a girl.

They stopped abruptly at the sound. Sakura and Shin turned trying to locate the voice, but all they could see was corridor after corridor.

"Suki," she whispered. She was about to shout out her name when Shin's hand clamped around her mouth. The look he gave her forced her scream down.

"This could be a trap," he whispered harshly.

"If Suki got out I need to get to her,"

"Has she ever called you Mommy before?" he asked. That made Sakura actually stop and stare.

It was true. Suki had never called her Mommy, not even once by mistake. It was always Aunty Sakura this, Aunty Sakura that. Never ever once did she think it was okay to call her Mommy. Why now? Unless…

Shin could see the desperation to get closer to the little voice calling out to her. If the girl Suki escaped, it wasn't on her own or by accident. That bastard had probably let her out on purpose to lure them where he wanted them. "Don't move," he said tensely.

"Mommy!" the new panicked shriek sent Sakura's maternal sensors bolting toward the noise; Shin's caution thrown to the wind. Shin cursed and ran to catch up with her, wondering where her speed came from.

She turned the corner and right into a dark room. She heard Shin call out to her seconds before the door shut behind her. Sakura wheeled around and pounded on the door when a light came on behind her. That's when she saw her.

Suki was in the center of a large glass chamber wearing what looked like a white hospital gown. She was lying on the ground, still as death. Sakura's heart dropped into her stomach as she ran and pounded on the thick glass wall.

"Suki!" she screamed. The little body made no movement, sending her heart into an even more panicked state.

"Suki wake up sweetheart please wake up!" she shouted pounding on the glass like there was no tomorrow. Every second she stared at Suki's unmoving form increased her panic. That is until her little body shifted ever so slightly, and Sakura could see that she was breathing.

"Suki!" she shouted as she continued to pound on the glass to get her attention. Suki continued to shift and rub her eyes as if she was just waking up from a nap. She yawned and blearily blinked her eyes open. She finally registered the noise and looked up.

"Su…" the name froze on her lips as Sakura stared at Suki. Fear gripped her heart and squeezed at the sight before her. Gone were her beautiful green eyes. What stared at her now, were two red orbs…with three coma-like irises. Those same eyes opened wide as she scrambled to her feet.

"Aunty Sakura!" Suki screamed before launching herself at the glass door. She pounded on the glass with her tiny fists, shouting and crying at the same time. Everything looked funny and moved slowly, but Suki was able to get oriented and make sense of it somehow.

Sakura snapped out of her stupor and crouched down with her hands splayed on the glass and her forehead pressed against it.

"Aunty Sakura," Suki wailed.

"Oh sweetheart," Sakura whispered, tears streaming down her face in sheer relief that she was alive. "I'm right here baby I'm so glad you're okay," she sobbed. She began to look around for a door or latch to get her out. There was no visible door, and Sakura didn't have time to register how she got in there. What mattered was getting her out, the quickest way she knew how.

"Stand back Suki do you hear me? Get away from the glass," she said motioning for her to move.

Suki ran to the other side. Sakura gathered her strength, flexing her fist and letting the juices flow in her blood before charging toward the glass. She sent a roaring punch toward the thick cut glass wall; her fist connecting solidly with it. The thud shook the wall, but all it did was make a slight crack. Shaking it off, Sakura went back to get more momentum and sent another punch hurling at the same spot.

Suki watched in fear as Sakura charged again and again at the wall, each time hitting the same spot over and over again. She was running on pure adrenaline now, not even caring when the punches tore through her gloves and broke her skin, leaving red smudges of her blood tricking down the glass. She didn't care. She would do anything for her baby.

Suki was too scared to do anything but watch as Sakura continue her assault. Her tears sent a new strength into Sakura's bones, and with one final punch, her fist connected at the weakest point in the dent, freezing her in place as the crack ripped open the remaining wall, shattering it to pieces and showering her with sharp glass chards mixed red with her blood.

Sakura wasted no time in running over to the frightened Suki and enveloping her baby into her blood stained arms and holding on tight.

"Suki!" she screamed and cried at the same time. Suki held on to her tight and cried her heart out. Sakura held her close and sobbed uncontrollably in relief. She kissed the top of her head. "I'm here sweetheart," she said smoothing out her hair with one damaged hand and rocking her back and forth. "Mommy's here. It's okay…shhhhhh,"

Sakura held onto her tight until Suki had calmed down enough to talk to her. Sakura smoothed her hair back and stared into her eyes. So Suki had unleashed the Sharingan.

"Mommy," Suki sniffled before burying her face back into her embrace.

"Yes baby. Mommy's here," she soothed, reinforcing to Suki that from now on, she was her mother.

"Mommy," Suki repeated in acceptance.

"It's okay now sweetie, I'll get you home. We're going to get out of here soon," she said looking around the darkened room and not sensing anyone else near them. "Suki, do you know where Sora is?"

"No," she said helplessly. "Everything looks so different," she said, closing her eyes in fear of how everything looked in front of her. Sakura remembered the properties of the Sharingan that Shin had described, but she looked into Suki's eyes regardless.

Blood red irises with split pupils stared back at her in fear. That fear was the only thing that negated the fearsomeness and physiological manipulation those eyes were capable of.

Sakura held her close. Now that the surge of emotion had settled, things began surfacing. The heighted awareness picked up once more when she realized a few things.

A child's voice had called out to her, yet Suki was unconscious when she arrived.

And now they were sitting ducks.

Sakura scrambled to her feet with Suki in her arms, turning back to the door that closed on her when she entered the room and cursing when she found it was locked. She could hear a faint thumping on the other side, which she assumed to be Shin. When the door began to give, she instinctively moved back as the door handle shot off and swung open.

A furious Shin was on the other side.

"What part of don't _fucking_ move didn't you understand?" he asked furiously before assessing this room; one he recognized to hold little significance which only confirmed that this was a trap and that they were now screwed over more than usual. He glanced back at Sakura as she held the Uchiha girl with profusely bleeding hands.

Suki stared at the man in fear. When Shin saw her eyes replaced with the Sharingan, he knew that the transfusion process was complete. Kabuto didn't need the girl anymore; another bad sign.

"I had to get her," Sakura said. "But she was unconscious when I found her. Who was calling out to me?" she whispered.

"We're not going to stick around and find out," he said grabbing her and heading out into the maze of halls. "It's way too quiet around here and I don't like what that implies,"

Before she could fathom what he meant by that, the sound of a gunshot echoed in the hall behind them. Suki screamed and Shin wheeled around firing a shot of his own, getting a glimpse of their attacker.

"Shit," he cursed spotting an operative gunning it after them firing shot after shot. He wondered when the bastards would make their move. Shin turned left abruptly and continued to run down the hall. The assailant followed them, bullets ricocheting off the walls until he led them where he needed them to go.

Shin thought it was odd that none of the shots had found them, almost as if he wasn't even trying to get them. He turned the corner and into the large open space of an arena and cursed again. The operative exited after them and raised the gun to shoot them, before three bullets took him from behind; one landing in his head before dropping dead. Sakura screamed and turned Suki's face away, praying she hadn't seen the man go down.

Shin watched as a figure emerged from the shadows. Bracing Sakura and the girl before him, he stood with his eyes wide as the person became clearer. Sakura saw an older looking man walking with a cane, wrapped in gauze covering various parts of his body. He stopped and stared at them.

"That's enough of that business," the man said looking right at them. Shin tensed beside her before putting himself in front of them and glaring at the man in recognition. "I see you remember me," the man said.

"How can I forget?" Shin replied. "So you're the one behind this…Danzo,"

The man known as Danzo simply smiled sardonically at him. "Don't look at me with such contempt," he sneered. "I'm not the only one that benefited from this, though I'm sure your time is nearly up if your face is any sign,"

Shin wiped the blood off his mouth, staining his pale skin with a faint pink color. "Pity," Danzo continued. "Death by binding seal would have been quick and painless. Your brother certainly benefitted from it,"

Shin felt Sakura tense at that bit of news. He held her back when she tried to move forward.

"You killed Sai," Sakura whispered. "You killed Sai!" she shouted. Danzo gave her an assessing look.

Kakashi's daughter looked weary and beaten down with her tattered clothing and bloody wrists. But her eyes burned green with anger and determination, and a cold fierceness he had known Kakashi to possess. He hated her more now than ever before.

Danzo finally noticed the little girl in her arms, and the Sharingan staring right back at him. That fool Kabuto may not think there was any more use for the child, but _he_ certainly could use another pair of eyes.

They watched in horror as he unraveled the bindings on his arm. Sakura once again covered Suki's eyes when they saw his arm covered with Sharingan eyes.

"Oh God," Sakura whispered.

"Now it's time to finish things," Danzo said lunging for them with incredible speed.

Shin pushed Sakura out of the way and collided squarely with Danzo.

"Run!" Shin shouted.

Sakura stared in horror as the deceptively strong man known as Danzo struggled against Shin. Shin's final shout to get moving penetrated her mind as she sped off into the maze of halls once again to get out. Suki clung to her, whimpering in fear at what she had seen earlier. Her eyes had registered things she didn't understand, but she felt something when she saw all those eyes. She felt the people behind them.

Sakura continued to run; her gaze lingering on the many passing rooms, all with their doors open, searching for any signs of Sora. They passed a hall when Suki gasped and grasped her shirt.

"What?" Sakura gasped, clutching Suki closer and looking around frantically for any sign of a threat. "What happened?" she asked.

Suki was looking straight down the darkened corridor, her eyes searching and sensing a faint but familiar signal. Somehow she knew that Sora was there somewhere.

"Sora," she whispered. Sakura's heart leapt.

"What? You see Sora?" she asked looking down the corridor. She couldn't see a damn thing, but she knew that the Sharingan may have let Suki see something. It was her best chance yet.

Suki shook her head and pointed in that direction. Sakura grew confused buy the look in Suki's eye. Sakura stood in the center of the large divide, panting from all the running and desperately trying to keep it together. Suki must have sensed something, but the uncertainty of what she was seeing made it hard to decide to follow.

"Do you sense anything else Suki?" she asked looking at Suki's face. She shook her head.

"He's running away," she said. That snapped Sakura's gears back in motion.

"Tell me which way," Sakura said running into the darkened corridor. Her eyes took their time adjusting to the dark, but Suki didn't have that problem.

"There," Suki said pointing. Sakura ran all the way toward the end, when a glowing blue light began to emit from the left side of the hall. She slowed and followed the light.

She could smell the smoke, and another familiar smell. Fear gripped her heart as she stepped into the room. Smoke ghosted the floor over fallen bodies as the air sizzled with electricity. The smell of scorched flesh permeated the air, triggering her nausea once more. Sakura covered her nose as she gripped Suki tight.

It was a massacre.

The room was littered with debris and people. White lab coats stained with blood from the impact of shattered glass from the large container situated in the center of the room. Something had escaped from there.

She caught movement in the corner of her eye. Before she could blink, a white scaly hand held her arm in a fierce grip and swung her around.

"I knew you'd be back," Kabuto hissed. Sakura gasped and released Suki a second before she was pulled into his hold. Her back hit his chest as his reptilian arms engulfed her in their tight hold.

"Get your hands off me!" Sakura screeched, thrashing unsuccessfully in his surprisingly strong hold.

"Mommy!" Suki screamed. Her eyes assessed the scary man holding her, and she was frightened even more.

Kabuto got a strange look in his eye when he noticed Suki. Before his thoughts could manifest into anything, Sakura found her strength and reared back, sending them both into a pile of debris. Kabuto hissed and rolled over with her as Sakura shouted at Suki to get away.

When she looked back, Suki was nowhere to be seen. Sakura rolled with Kabuto onto the floor, bumping into fallen bodies and struggling against each other. Kabuto was heavy, but the adrenaline coursing through her veins allowed her to squirm away from him, but not for long.

"Do you think that after all this time, I would let you slip from my grasp?" he asked pinning her down by the arms. Her legs were effectively held down. "Did you?" he asked, shaking her.

"Get off of me you bastard," she screamed, struggling against him.

"I still have grand plans for you," he said, his eyes practically glowing against his pale face. "One little hiccup isn't enough to stop me. I'll get you back where you belong before finishing that little brat,"

"Look at you!" Sakura shouted. "Look at what you're doing. Have you truly gone insane?"

"You call it insanity, I call it ingenuity," he said. "A new race will be born and Lord Orochimaru's work shall continue," he said before looking at her in a way that made her skin crawl. "It's all going to start with you," he said lowering his face toward hers.

Sheer horror at having him kiss her allowed her reflexes to deliver a swift head but to his face. His glasses shattered and his nose began to bleed. Sakura used her momentum to push him off as he clutched his bleeding face. She tried to scramble to her feet, but his arm pulled her back.

"Step out that door and I can guarantee you your son dies," he huffed into her ear. That stopped her struggling. "That's right. Think before you do anything further," he warned as the blood from his face dripped onto her chest.

"What did you do to him?" she whispered. He chuckled in her ear and grazed the side of her face with his cold scaly nose, further smearing the blood and chuckling as he did so.

At that moment, she thought she noticed movement in the corner of her eye. Her thoughts went to Suki. She may be hiding there. Kabuto didn't seem to notice it, but if it was Suki, she had to keep him distracted.

"What did you do to my son?" she repeated. Kabuto stopped nuzzling her face, though his arms gripped her tighter from behind.

"Would you like to sssee him?" he hissed. Sakura suppressed the shiver that threatened to appear before nodding. She had to get to Sora, and if this was the only way then so be it. Her only fear was for Suki. She was so scared and confused. Sakura couldn't imagine what the world looked like through Sharingan eyes, but she had to get Kabuto away from Suki. She was useless to him now, and Sakura knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

"Behave," Kabuto warned. He nudged her forward into the hall, keeping a tight grip on her arms. "It's such a pity," he began. "You had such potential. You and I could have achieved great things together. I'd have thought that with enough time, you would come around and see reason Sakura," he said as they walked along the darkened corridor.

Sakura didn't like the way he was talking about her. It sounded like he had given up on her. He was being exceedingly rough with her too. A sinking feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach. She remembered Sasuke's words about the stages of obsession.

"…_..you're going to do something that will disappoint him eventually… when he realizes that you're not as perfect as he might have thought you were, he'll react," _

In the beginning, Kabuto spoke of her with a sort of reverence. Now it was almost like he was…

"I'm very disappointed in you….Sssssakura," he said before shoving her forward.

Sakura reacted without a second thought. She dropped a second before she saw the shine of a blade protrude from his scaly hand and swipe the air where her head used to be. Kabuto lunged again, swinging the blade down towards her. Sakura rolled to her side, but not before the tip of the blade managed to nick her arm.

Sasuke was right. She had disappointed Kabuto, and if he couldn't have her, he was going to make sure no one else could.

She dropped and kicked his shin, using her hands to swing herself on the ground as she did so. He stumbled back, getting caught on his robes. Sakura used the seconds to scramble to her feet. She propelled forward, only to scream when she felt the searing pain of the blade imbedding in the back of her right shoulder. She stumbled to her knees as she simultaneously reached for the knife and pulled it out. She turned and faced Kabuto as he approached her at right speed. Sakura stared at him, her heart pounding a mile a minute. Kabuto had her cornered and he knew it. He pulled out a gun from his sleeve and pointed it right at her.

Her breath stilled as time seemed to freeze. The reverberating sound of a gunshot ricocheted throughout the corridor. Blood splattered on the walls, along with her screams.

* * *

**Suki's POV:**

Suki ran down the corridors as fast as her small feet could carry her. Her eyes adjusted to everything differently than it did before, but tears streamed down her face as she did so. She didn't know where she was going, but somehow her eyes memorized everything, giving her a mental map of the place. She never turned anywhere twice.

She remembered feeling Sora nearby, but she couldn't feel him anymore. Suki was scared the bad man got to him.

"Sora," she yelled. "Onii Chan!" she cried again, hoping to hear from him. Suki continued to run, before she sensed someone up ahead. She slowed and came to a stop. Someone was coming right at her, and it wasn't anybody she knew. When she got closer, she saw that it was a woman.

The woman paused in her walk when she saw the little girl right before her. Her face broke out into a menacing grin.

"Hello little brat," the redheaded woman said. Suki saw all the bite marks that covered her body and the fear returned. The woman's face looked funny, but Suki didn't know what it was. Her movements were funny too.

"Where's my brother?" Suki asked as the woman stilled.

Karin escaped her confinement after all the. She saw her chance to escape after that bastard Kabuto ran after that Haruno bitch. She didn't expect to run into this little brat, but saw a golden opportunity before her grand escape. She chuckled ominously before slowly approaching the girl. When she got closer, she could see the Sharingan in her eyes; just like Sasuke had. Even now, after everything she had been through, her obsession for him did not waver. The jealously, and the rage consumed her at the thought of Sasuke with another woman. Now the child stood before her, mocking her with those eyes she got from her Sasuke. It was time for payback, long overdue.

"Don't look at me with those eyes," Karin seethed. "I'll see to it that those eyes never see the light of day again!" she said before lunging at the child.

Suki saw her coming in detailed perception, but her fear paralyzed her on the spot. Time stilled before her as the woman's outstretched hands reached for her; her cry's echoing throughout the corridor. Karin's eyes widened with insanity at the thought of finally getting her revenge.

And she never saw him coming.

The small Sharingan eyes staring up at her in fear were now blocked by the bigger, more dangerous Sharingan that seemingly materialized before her and blocked her path, ready to kill her. She didn't even have time to blink as the Katana swung straight through her heart, killing her within seconds. The last thing Karin saw was the Sharingan, and she wouldn't have had it any other way. The katana was easily pulled out before her limp body dropped to the floor in a pool of blood, blocked from view of the small child.

Suki stared up at the dark figure before her. Her new eyes registered everything within a split second before her heart started pounding again. The man turned around and looked down at her with eyes just like hers.

"Suki…," he said in that familiar voice; the one she knew and loved. He saw the fear in her eyes, and the Sharingan that he never thought he would see on her. "…_Tenshi_…," he said more clearly; his voice betraying tenderness.

Suki's eyes welled with tears. "…D….Daddy!" she wailed before running to him. Sasuke tossed his katana to the side before he knelt on the ground and enveloped his daughter into his arms and held her tight. Finally, he had her back.

"Tenshi," Sasuke said; his voice hoarse as he kissed her cheeks. Suki clung to him as she cried all over him. "I got you," he said as he stroked her hair. "I got you,"

"Daddy!" she sobbed. Her little hands clung to his shirt, her body shaking as she realized that her father was with her at last.

Sasuke just held her in his arms, even though he knew he would need to get her out of here soon. But he was just as shaken at what he had witnessed only seconds ago. He and the Dobe successfully located the new Sound base and infiltrated it. When he saw Suki's chakara signature on the move, he wasted no time getting to her.

But for now, he finally got to hold his baby girl again. He kissed her cheeks once more before standing with her in his arms. Suki still choked and sobbed, but Sasuke use one hand to pull her face away from his chest to get a good look at her eyes.

"Hi Tenshi," Sasuke said soothingly, attempting to calm her. A thousand questions filtered through his mind, but he had to calm her down. "I'm here for you now, and I'm not leaving you ever again," he said kissing her forehead. "I promise,"

Suki hiccupped and wiped her eyes with her hands. "Daddy…," she choked. "I... (Sniff)… missed you," she said heartbreakingly. He took hold of one of her hands and kissed it before holding it on the side of his face.

"I missed you too," he said, realizing now just how much he missed his baby. Suki calmed down after a few minutes and took a good look at him.

"Daddy….your eyes," she said placing both her hands on his face.

"You're eyes too," he said. The rage over what she had to have been through to get the Sharingan began to bubble. He could feel his body shake in anger over it.

"What the hell happened here?" came a voice from behind them. Suki looked over her father's shoulders and saw another man with blond hair and blue eyes that made her heart thump with joy.

"Uncle Naruto!" she shouted.

Naruto ran toward them, his gaze locked onto hers in surprise. "Suki?" he said. "Thank God your….whoa," he said when he realized what exactly he was staring at. "Well, she definitely looks a lot more like you now. Like father like daughter," he said when he reached them. "Hey sweetheart," he said patting her head affectionately.

"Tenshi," Sasuke began. "Have you seen Sakura and Sora?" he asked. The sweet relief he felt after finding her was short lived as he realized time was still running out for Sora and Sakura. Suki nodded her head.

"I can't feel Sora anymore," she said. "But the bad man was fighting Mommy," she said, surprising both Sasuke and Naruto. "He was hurting her," she said, the tears building once more. "She told me to run away,"

Sasuke visibly tensed at the news. Suki's gown was stained with blood, and he knew it didn't belong to her…which meant that Sakura was hurt.

Kabuto's psyche must have finally snapped, and Sakura was in real danger. And they still had to find Sora, but there was no way he was keeping Suki here to witness any of it. Naruto caught Sasuke's eye, instantly understanding the message.

"Tenshi," Sasuke began. "I have to find Sora and Saku…Mommy," he said, squeezing her closer to him. "I have to bring all of you home. You have to go with Uncle Naruto right now,"

"No," Suki screamed. "Don't leave me! You promised!" she yelled. Her tiny fists pounded onto his chest.

Sasuke was going to hate himself for this for the rest of his life, but time was running out. He held Suki close, whispering soothing words into her ear, promising never to leave her ever again. When she looked back into his eyes, he took his chance and used his much stronger Sharingan to overpower her thoughts. Suki's eyes slowly closed, until she was in deep sleep.

He had no other choice.

Naruto watched him subdue her. "So," he began. "How often did you use that to put her to sleep as a baby?" he asked. Sasuke did nothing more than glare at him. Naruto shrugged and turned to the corpse behind them.

"She looks familiar," he said. "And what's with all the bite marks?"

"Remnants of her days as a Sound operative working with Orochimaru," Sasuke answered, before forgetting her completely. "Kabuto has her," Sasuke said, referring to Sakura. "He's not going to let her live. She's not good enough for him anymore," he said, making Naruto curse.

"Suki said he already has her," Naruto said. "We need to move,"

"Not we. You need to take Suki," Sasuke said. "Get her out of here Dobe. Flag down the CIA and get her out," he said just as Naruto's communicator alerted him. He checked the signal and grinned.

"No need," Naruto said. "My guys are finally here. It's time to get this show on the road. Believe it," he grinned.

* * *

**Kakashi's POV: **

The CIA had finally arrived at the coordinates Shino had traced. He brought the entire squad with him, braced and ready to annihilate any and every person who participated in Kabuto Yakushi's sick and twisted schemes.

The Sound Operatives found lurking outside the perimeter were subdued in no time. His Team saw to their disposal. All ten of Kakashi's hounds were unleashed on the grounds, searching for evidence of Sakura and the children.

"Report your location," Kakashi said through his communication mic.

"_Clear," _Neji and Lee reported.

"_Our side's clear_," Kiba and Chouji said.

"_My side is clear, but this looks like the entrance_," Shikamaru said. "_Report to the South side_,"

The squad assembled to Shikamaru and immediately understood why it was the entrance. There was a swirling hole on the side of the wall; the signature move for one of their own. Tenten, who was watching from the CIA base, rolled her eyes.

"_Ch, leave it to Naruto to make a grand entry_," Tenten said to all of them via communication system. She was itching to get back in the field and unleash her weaponry, but she had to monitor them through the base with Ino. Tsunade had given strict orders for them to stay and guard the mission from base in light of the dirty Agent fiasco.

Hinata was on sight for medical needs.

"_Alright guys_," Tenten said. "_Proceed and disperse with tracking. I'm going to make a map of the layout as you do_," she said.

"You heard her," Kakashi said just before they heard sound of footsteps coming toward them.

They braced their weapons, ready for a fight, when an obnoxious shout called out.

"Jeez, put the guns down, it's me!" Naruto shouted just before he appeared out the door…with an unconscious Suki in his arms. "I think shit's hit the fan in there. We heard gun shots and alarms are ringing all over the place. Get in and head towards the noise,"

They didn't waste any time doing so.

"Hinata is here with Medics," Kakashi said. "Take Suki to her," he ordered before he and Naruto ran in opposite directions.

Kakashi followed his team into the darkened corridors of the layer. It didn't take them long to find their first sign of trouble.

"What the hell happened here?" he asked no one in particular as he surveyed the damage. The area was a mess.

"Kakashi!" Neji shouted from across the area. "You better take a look at this," he said. Kakashi made his way over, and saw what he was talking about.

"So this was what he was all about," he said when he saw the containment chambers. He walked toward the broken glass chamber. A greenish liquid had spilled in a pool on the ground, and what he recognized as air-mask dangled from the interior of the chamber. Something, or someone was in there, and had only just recently left,"

Neji surveyed the area thoroughly. "Pattern of glass and splatter indicate that it was broken from the inside out," he said crouching down and observing a trail of splatter heading in one direction. "Whatever was in there went that way," he said shinning his light into a corridor.

"Not before causing serious harm to three people," Kakashi responded. Hinata rushed in with Naruto beside her. "Hinata, assess those three on the ground,"

She nodded and used her medical knowledge to survey the fallen men. "They're alive, but knocked out," she said. "Some kind of chokehold was used...but…" she broke off assessing the marks on their necks.

"What is it Hinata?" Kakashi asked. She looked troubled and locked her gaze on Kakashi.

"The marks came from small hands…a child's hands," she said indicting the size of the wounds.

"A kid did this?" Naruto asked. "You don't think it was-"

"Sora," Kakashi said fiercely. It had to be him.

The communicators crackled with static before Tenten's voice was heard. "_All units: Activity reported in the central sector of the area," _she said.

"All of you head there now. I'm going this way," Kakashi said as he followed the direction of the water. If his Grandson was here, he was going to find him.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV:**

Sasuke unleashed his fury upon the numerous masked attackers. He could count fifty easily and knew the organization was larger than he thought. It didn't matter though. He would find that bastard Kabuto.

He dodged the bullets that came his way, noting the electrical field that surrounded each one. Kabuto had been working on some new toys. He braced his Katana with electricity to ward them off, when a flash of green appeared before him.

"Leaf Hurricane!" Lee shouted before he used his legs to knock down an entire row. He turned and gave Sasuke a look before deciding to salute him. "Uchiha Sasuke. Let us fight alongside each other!" he shouted before almost diving into a group of five more.

Naruto appeared with Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba and Akamaru. He turned to Sasuke and gave him a grin.

"Suki's safe with the CIA," he said before turning and knocking down two assailants that headed straight for him. Naruto managed to unmask one of them and flinch. The face was disfigured…and dead.

"Don't unmask them Dobe," Sasuke said. "They're all dead. That bastards reanimated them somehow," he said as he swung his Katana through another wave of them. They weren't difficult to fight. They were just numerous.

They guys oriented themselves in a crude circle by Sasuke, tackling the waves as they came.

"Now I've seen it all," Naruto shouted as he ran through a line of them, downing them instantly with his arms alone.

"I'll say," Kiba said, flinching himself when Akamaru easily ripped a limb off one of them. "They aren't stable at all,"

"Where is that bastard Kabuto?" Neji asked as he surveyed the area and subdued attackers at the same time. They seemed to swarm the place "Where are they coming from?"

"Looks like there's only one way to do this," Naruto said. "Take cover," he shouted before jumping towards the center of the mass. Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"Not here!" Shikamaru yelled.

Neji's eyes also widened when he realized what he meant to do. "You're not thinking to-"

"Shit!" Kiba cursed before gunning it behind a wall with Akamaru. Neji, Shikamaru and Lee followed suit. Sasuke only had time to dive behind them when a flash of blue filled the space followed by a sonic boom. The room shook as bodies were thrown back against the wall before slumping down in heaps.

Smoke and dust ghosted the floors around Naruto as he breathed heavily and surveyed the damage. His arms were smoking, though he held no weapon. Sasuke emerged from his spot and raised a brow at him.

"Hehe…I'm not really supposed to use that indoors," he grinned.

"You Idiot! You could have killed us all!" Shikamaru shouted from the floor.

"_What the hell was that_?" Kakashi's voice said through their ear pieces. The blast was felt throughout the layer.

Tenten followed suit. "_Someone tell me he did not just do that indoors! You just compromised the integrity of the structure," _

"I got them all didn't I?" Naruto responded. "Now we can find Sakura and Sora,"

"_Is Sasuke with you Naruto?" _Kakashi asked. "_Keep him there. The rest of us are headed toward your location," _

Sasuke sheathed his Katana and surveyed the damage. He had to find them fast before the CIA decided to do it on their own. He began to move, when he sensed the presence up ahead. Naruto followed his gaze.

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke held his hand up, silencing Naruto and gaining everyone's attention. Sasuke saw Sakura slowly walking toward him from the shadows of the entryway. Something was off, and slowly the Agents around him noticed it too as she got closer. She was looking at her feet, purposefully avoiding their gaze, her breathing short and shallow.

It had been nearly eight weeks since he had last seen her. The vision he had of her all those nights ago on the bench faded as she emerged.

"Sakura," he whispered.

He saw the blood splatter covering her front. Her arms and chest soaked were soaked red, with splatter marks on her neck and shoulders. Her walk was tense, fearful, and forced. Sasuke didn't look into her eyes. If he did, he would have missed the gleam coming from an object behind her. It was then that he saw the man walking right behind her, and the gun in his hand pointed at her back.

"Uchiha Sasuke. So very nice of you to come," Danzo said as he and Sakura emerged into the light. Sakura visibly tensed when Danzo said his name, but she still didn't look up. Sasuke gave her a thorough once over, realizing the blood on her front didn't come from her, but someone else; someone who was right in front of her and shot at close range, similar to what happened to him.

Sakura refused to meet his gaze, even though she felt his eyes on her.

"Danzo you bastard," Naruto growled. "Let go of her!"

Danzo only gave a smug look in reply. He only moved the gun from her back, pointing the barrel at her temple. Everyone tensed at the move, knowing the slightest provocation could end her life.

"Stand down, all of you," Danzo ordered. "I'm just itching for a reason to kill her," he said, nuzzling the gun on her temple.

Sasuke looked at Danzo murderously as he forced the gun on Sakura. He could see her quiver every time it touched her. To Sasuke, it was the same as any man touching her, and his fury ignited. He stepped away from the group towards her, stopping only when Danzo shifted the gun on her.

"Give it up Danzo," Naruto snarled. "We know you're the one that's gone dirty. We've got the place surrounded. There's no way you're getting out of this,"

"You fail to register that her life is in my hands," Danzo replied, pressing the barrel into her pink locks to emphasis his point. "She and I will be leaving without barriers. Any moves to stop me will result in her immediate death,"

"You bas-"

"Don't!" Sakura shouted. She shut her eyes, shuddering as she tried not to fall apart. "Don't get in his way," she whispered, confusing everyone. Hearing her voice again, laced with fear, did something to Sasuke. He could feel the stability shifting within him. His control was slowly slipping from him.

Danzo gave Sasuke a pointed look. Kakashi emerged from recon and registered the entire scene within seconds. Danzo appeared, irritated with his arrival. His plan to exit with his hostage in tow was getting more delayed by the second.

The gun slid from her head, down to her chest. "I could take her heart, but that would be too messy, and again, far too quick for my liking," he said, letting the guns barrel slide further down her body. It wasn't done in any type of sexual manner, but it was purposeful, and Sakura's heart sunk at where he was going to stop it.

Sasuke's Sharingan eyes watched as Danzo abruptly stopped the guns barrel at her lower abdomen. "This wouldn't be so quick," he began. "Tell me…Uchiha. Would you risk me killing her…and the child she carries now?" he said pressing the gun into her lower belly.

Sakura's eyes met Sasuke's then. His heart lurched with fury and panic when he locked eyes with her. She nodded her head to confirm the truth to him, the one she realized in that brief moment of clarity with Shin.

She was pregnant.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**You know I love cliffys and hoopla. DON'T KILL ME! Next chapter will be shorter but coming sooner! The end draws near and therefore the updates will come fast. SO PLEASE REVIEW THIS CHAPTER! I LOVE THEM! **


	38. Walls Will Fall

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 38: Walls Will Fall**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

She was barely holding onto her sanity. Her body trembled as Danzo held her at gun point. She had very little hope, even though she knew that Sasuke and the CIA were standing right before her. She couldn't look them in the eye. She wasn't even paying Danzo much attention as he taunted them with her safety. Her mind was focused on only one thing: her children.

She shook as he slid the gun down her front, purposefully stopping at her lower abdomen. He knew. He knew everything. He was the mastermind behind this.

_Kabuto lunged with the gun aimed straight at her. Sakura saw his face as his body loomed over hers, deranged with insanity, a split second before she heard the shot. The bullet shot out of his chest, showering her with his blood before his body fell on top of her. _

_She screamed against his weight as blood pooled on her from the gushing chest wound. Her hand brushed against the gun he still held and on reflex, grabbed it from him before Kabuto's heaving form was unceremoniously pulled off her and thrown aside. _

_Sakura took her chance and rolled to her knees pointing the gun at the new intruder. _

_And there Danzo stood, pointing another gun down at her. _

"_You," she said, as if it were a curse. She noticed the blood stains on his clothing as well before she remembered Shin. "What did you do to Shin?" she screamed keeping the gun on him. _

_Danzo wanted nothing more than to shoot Sakura Haruno where she lay, but at this point she was the only insurance he had to make it out of here. "If you don't wish to meet the same fate, you'll do what I say," he answered before looking at Kabuto. _

"…_You…traitor," Kabuto wheezed. "….kill you…," he mumbled as he struggled on the ground. Sakura was amazed he was still alive. _

"_You're usefulness has reached its end," Danzo said admiring his arm riddled with Sharingan eyes. Kabuto had helped him transplant and experiment with the idea. "Take comfort in knowing that you were my favorite recruit. I'll let you bleed out in peace" he said before motioning for Sakura to stand. She stood slowly, weary of the gun pointed at her as she tried to think of a way to escape. As if sensing her train of thought, Danzo stepped closer. _

"_Try to escape and I'll shoot the progeny that grows within you now," he said, smiling when she couldn't hide the shock on her face. "Yes, I know about it. So does he," he said motioning to Kabuto on the floor. "Why do you think he gave up on you?" he asked. _

_Sakura didn't even spare a glance at Kabuto, but it answered why he snapped. She was tainted in his mind. He must have discovered it in her blood work, and that was why he kept taking so many samples. He was making sure. _

"_I should have killed you the first time you ruined my Agent with a child," Danzo continued. "Sai was the best assassin there was. I trained him to be the perfect tool; one that would take orders without question. I sent him to kill you and he didn't mutter a word of protest," he said as if having a mild conversation. He didn't even seem concerned that she was pointing a gun at him. _

_Sakura's heart stopped. She showed no outward reaction to that statement, but it didn't stop her blood turning into ice. _

"_You will not shoot me Sakura," Danzo said confidently. _

"_What makes you so sure?" she asked, not liking the way he smiled at her. "And where is Shin?" she asked again. _

"_Dead," he answered without much care. Sakura almost tried to call his bluff when he added. "And…if you don't wish the same fate on your son, you'll drop your gun," he said. He knew he had her when he saw the fear in her eyes. "Or are you willing to take a chance with the boy's life?" _

_Sakura's hands shook as she dropped the gun. Danzo almost laughed. _

"_This is why I knew you wouldn't shoot me," he said. "Family is weakness. Having a bond with another person, even an imaginary bond, holds you back from true power. Kabuto wanted you. You were his weakness and I used that to get him give me this arm. You had a gun aimed right at me and here I stand unharmed because I'm holding your greatest weakness in the palm of my hands," he drawled. _

_He approached her and circled her like a predatory shark ready to strike. He knew she wouldn't dare make a move against him. _

"_You see Sakura…true strength comes when you sever the bonds that hold you back. My Agents adhere to this rule. Sai adhered to that rule…until he deviated. He found a weakness in you and you gave him the ultimate weakness in a child. His death is on your hands" he claimed in her ear. _

"_Where is my son?" she whispered. His words about Sai tore at her heart, but she couldn't afford to think he was bluffing about having Sora in his possession. Up until now, she thought Kabuto was the real worry, but he was just a puppet and Danzo was the puppet master. _

"_Do what I say and I won't kill him," Danzo said pointing his gun at her back. "Now walk!" he ordered. _

Sakura dropped her gaze from Sasuke, unable to hold onto it any longer. She hated her weakness, hated having to be saved and hated that she couldn't protect her children, born and unborn, from danger. She had failed them.

Sasuke's eyes absorbed every little detail about her: her sunken face, ashen complexion, every visible wound and the blood that seeped from them. Her hands were covered in blood; hers and someone else's. He could see the torn skin of her knuckles under the ripped gloves she wore. Her entire form radiated damage.

Sakura…his Sakura…

She was harmed…

She was touched…

And that was unforgivable.

The dark aura he began emitting soon became tangible.

Naruto and the guys caught each other's eye. Every Agent in the room sensed the noticeable shift in atmosphere. Even Akamaru picked up on the sense and gave off a low growl. Sasuke's wrath was evident as it permeated the air. It put everyone on edge.

He was the infamous Sound Assassin. His capabilities knew no bounds.

Kakashi was acutely aware of Sasuke's growing rage. He knew better than most, just what he was in danger of unleashing. Though they knew his power as a former Sound Agent, Kakashi didn't know the extent of his control with the curse mark.

"Danzo," Kakashi muttered. "You have no other option. There's nowhere for you to run. We've got you and you know it. Let her go," he ordered. Sakura didn't show the slightest hint of reaction to her father's voice.

Danzo met Kakashi's gaze. The Sharingan eye that looked back at him still sent a wave of apprehension through him, frustrating Danzo. But he had to remember it didn't matter anymore.

He had more than enough borrowed eyes to take them all on, and what they didn't know pleased him.

"Kakashi," Danzo stated. "You're reign as the leader of the CIA should have ended long ago. It's time for a new path to be taken,"

The Agents involved were startled at the statement. They locked eyes once more, understanding that the source of all this madness was just an internal power struggle, and felt their own rage over Danzo's audacity.

"Like any of us would follow you as a leader," Naruto shouted. "Give it up old man! You're history!"

None of them liked the smirk that appeared on Danzo's face.

"I won't tolerate insubordination," Danzo said. "I'll have to take care of that sooner rather than later,"

"You're talking as if you already control the CIA," Kakashi said.

Danzo smirked before replying "I do,"

* * *

"What the hell is that walking mummy talking about?" Tenten shrieked as she looked back at Ino. Tsunade burst through the doors in a rage.

"That bastard!" she shouted pulling up all of their information systems on display. Shino followed closely behind. "Shit! I don't have access to anything," she said as she tried maneuvering through the system.

Shino also began to analyze their system controls before locating the problem. "There," he said pointing to an encrypted file located in their mainframe. "That's impossible. It's the bug virus; _my_ bug virus," he stated. "How did he get access to my files," he asked before working his fingers over the systems to remove it.

"Tell me you can get rid of it Shino," Tsunade pleaded.

"I created that virus. It wasn't meant to be removed," Shino stated. "It was made to completely shut down an enemy system without fail,"

"If our systems fail, every Agent and every mission we have will be compromised. Get it out!" she ordered. "Kakashi!" she said grabbing a mic and relaying their predicament to him.

Ino and Tenten tried their best to assess the situation from their standpoint. They pulled up the CIA daycare center and saw live feed. The Hyuga triplets were all asleep in their cribs and guarded by Kurenai. Akio and Akira Nara were in the playroom with Jun Inuzuka. In light of Sora and Suki's abduction, the Agents had to bring their children to base for protection detail.

"The kids are fine," Tenten said, breathing a sigh of relief. She sent a message to Kurenai letting her know of the internal threat. Ino continued to survey the feedback from the field Agents as Tenten sent the alert through the base.

"He created an entire underground layer," Ino said as she assessed the view from the guys. "It's convoluted around a central sector. We have agents scattered all over the place," she added. "How the hell does Danzo think he's going to get out of this alive? And what makes him think that any of the Agents there will obey his command?" she asked in afterthought.

It was just after Ino spoke that thought aloud when Tsunade made a startling discovery.

"He doesn't," she whispered, gathering their attention.

"Doesn't what?" Ino asked.

"He knows this group of Agents won't obey him. They're the CIA's best and their loyalties lie with Kakashi. It's a given," she said.

"I don't understand," Tenten said. "Then why is acting like he's got them right…where…he wants them," she finished, her eyes widening in revelation as she assessed the layout of the base. "Oh God it's a trap! It's an underground grave,"

Tsunade's eyes widened before grabbing the mic. "Kakashi! Subdue that bastard and get everyone out! He's going to blow the place up with all of you in it!" she shouted.

Kakashi and the other agents received the news simultaneously. So Danzo had more than one trigger finger here. The minute he left he'd try to eliminate this group of Agents.

The only ones out of the loop were Sasuke and Sakura. Danzo began to move toward the last corridor, with Sakura held tight in his grip. "If I meet any resistance, she dies," he reminded as he pulled her along. Sakura didn't dare look anyone in the eye as they did.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, he felt a surge of energy rush through his body and slowly take over. He broke through glass and stood there with a small hospital gown clinging to him from the liquid. He sensed the approaching bodies as they neared him.

His body reacted without a second thought. They lay on the ground now, unmoving and unable to hurt him. He stared at his small hands, disbelief at what he had done to them forcing them to shake with adrenaline.

He ran. His focus was on the presence he sensed deep within the layer. He didn't know how he knew who it was, but he kept running.

He could feel the strength in his arms and legs as they propelled him through the corridors; his eyes taking in every detail. Everything was happening so fast, he couldn't process exactly what was going on, but he knew there was danger here.

He stopped at a room with the heavy scent of blood. That's when he saw the large snake like man slumped in the corner in a pool of blood. Kabuto's eyes suddenly opened and zeroed in on the boy.

Sora stood his ground as the body twitched uncontrollably and moved toward him. The big yellow eyes opened wide and swerved with an open mouth to strike like snake.

"Sssasuke…," the body hissed as the face seemed to change form into someone else; someone with long black hair and evil looking eyes.

Sora didn't even think twice as his body took over. He leapt in the air just as Kabuto lunged. His hands grasped the sides of his face and twisted midair before pulling it back. The sickening snap of bone could be heard before the body slumped for good.

He looked down at his hands, covered in scarlet blood from the body before him. The event triggered something uncontrollable within him. He suddenly felt out of control and continued to run.

The sensations grew stronger as his eyes guided him towards the mass of energy he could feel. He got closer and that's when he saw it.

He said a man, holding a woman with pink hair.

* * *

Danzo proceeded to back away from the hostile group of Agents surrounding him. The fools, he thought. They could have taken him down already if they weren't so concerned for this one girl. The girl was an even bigger fool for assuming that he had her son in his possession.

Danzo wasn't concerned about Kabuto's little project with Sai's son. He didn't have the patience to see if the experiment worked, and now he didn't have any more time. He needed to eliminate every last Agent here before he could return to the CIA base and assume the position as leader, unopposed by anyone.

The virus he implanted within the system controls would shut them down, disabling communication and effectively giving him his window to kill Kakashi's lead team.

He backed away and almost made it into the corridor when he felt the burst of energy behind him. A force collided with his back, pushing him to falter in his step as a blur of black and white zoomed past him.

Sakura acted and shoved the gun away from her a split second before Danzo pulled the trigger on reflex. The bullet barely grazed her left hip, but the residual burn from the guns barrel seared onto her flesh, forcing her to cry out in pain and drop to the ground.

Her cry ignited a flurry of action.

The agents acted by firing shots in his direction. They were momentarily stunned when he seemingly phased before them and out of range. He appeared on the opposite side of the dome; his arm unwrapped and filled with glowing red eyes.

"His arm…," Kakashi whispered as he took in the sight. Danzo's right arm was embedded with multiple mature Sharingan eyes. His skin was pale and wrinkly as if he had absorbed too much water. But the most sickening thing about it was that the eyes blinked and moved, as if they had come to life.

Sakura clutched her side as the sting from the burn throbbed. A giant ball of white fluff was suddenly by her side. She looked up to find Akamaru hovering over her protectively and growling up a storm at Danzo on the opposite side of the dome.

"Stay with her boy," Kiba ordered as he and the guys braced themselves for a fight. Kakashi was by her side in a flash, crouching down and bringing her in his arms.

"Sakura,"

"Daddy," she groaned, clutching onto his arm as the movement irritated her injury. Blood stained his arm and clothing as she did. Kakashi saw just how extensive the injuries on her hands and arms were. She was covered in blood, making it difficult to judge how much of it came from her.

Rage found him at just how much his daughter had suffered because of Danzo. "I'm going to get you out of here," he told her.

"No!" Sakura yelled. "Sora," she whispered trying to find him. "Daddy he said he has Sor-"she stopped mid-sentence when she looked up and caught sight of the look Danzo was giving her. It was pure hatred laced with aggression.

"He doesn't have Sora," Kakashi countered. Sakura looked up at him, finally seeing his left eye in Sharingan form. She followed his gaze to the adjacent corridor, where she couldn't see a thing.

Kakashi was about to move from his crouched position towards the corridor when Tsunade signaled to him once more. "_Shino is still trying to disarm the virus, but the girls have laid out the map of the place. It was built for easy demolition with trigger points everywhere. Get everyone out fast before it caves!_"

Kakashi reached for Sakura and panicked when she wasn't there.

"Sakura!" he shouted when he saw her walking toward the corridor he had sensed the presence from. She was clutching her side as she tried to stay upright.

"Sora…," she whispered, somehow knowing he was the one that bumped them earlier. She stood at the entrance of the corridor…and nearly dropped to her knees in shock.

Sakura's eyes widened when she saw him. He turned and looked at her, his eyes red with Sharingan. But his body was half covered in black marks that were slowly spreading.

Her baby boy looked at her with eyes that weren't his own.

"Sora," she whispered.

Sora looked at her for a moment, his glowing red eyes and spit tomoes shining in the darkness. For a second, Sakura saw the rage vanish and replace itself with recognition.

"Mommy…," he murmured. His little hand reached out to her, his body moved a step towards her, when the Sharingan processed all her injuries and blood and quickly consumed him with anger.

Sora clutched his head, screaming into the air as a fierce charge was felt through the room. His back arched, his scream blood curdling as a wave of dark air surrounded him. Black markings slowly began to ribbon their way onto his skin, branding him.

He shot out and ran past her into the rumble of bullets and smoke.

"Sora no!" she shouted, gaining Sasuke's attention. Sasuke turned and caught a glimpse with disbelief at what he was seeing. Sora couldn't control the feelings surging within him…because unlike Suki, Kabuto had implanted the curse seal onto Sora.

"Sora," Sakura screamed, trying to move toward him.

Danzo saw the approaching child with two fully functioning Sharingan eyes for the taking. The momentary distraction would be his undoing. Sasuke swung his Katana straight down his bicep, slicing down his monstrous arm before turning and knocking Danzo into the side wall with such force the room shook.

He turned, unleashing the full force of his eyes and speed to intercept Sora as the child charged toward him.

Time seemed to still between the gaze of the two interlocking Sharingan.

Sasuke saw the curse mark quickly spreading over the small body, consuming Sora's mind with its darkness. Sora's eyes registered Sasuke a split second before he veered to the left away from him, looking around in fright.

Sora panted, trying to get a grasp of what was happening to him. He could hear his mother screaming his name, and he could see Sasuke standing right before him.

Rubble began to fall from the ceiling as the ground began to vibrate.

Sasuke knew there wasn't much time. This layer wouldn't last long with all the blasting they've been doing and Sora would soon succumb to the curse mark. He was far too young to control it.

"Sora, look at me," Sasuke said. Sora looked up, just as a shadow loomed from behind him. He turned, not having had time to react before seeing Danzo's face propel toward him. Sasuke moved within the blink of an eye, grasping Danzo's arms and twisting them behind him.

"What would I do if you killed my child?" Sasuke said menacingly in answer to Danzo's taunt. Danzo looked back, his eyes widening when he saw the tomoes had fused into pinwheels. Mangekyou Sharingan stared down at him, paralyzing him on the spot. "I'd do this," he said before pulling Danzo's arms off their sockets with a sickening pop. Danzo's shouts echoed through the corridor, triggering Sora's instability once more.

"_The buildings no longer structurally sound! Get out of there it's going to crumble!" _Tenten's voice rang through CIA mics. The agents locked and loaded, unable to get near the commotion in the center.

Sora's screams rang through Sakura's ears as she tried moving toward him, only to be pulled back by Naruto just in time to miss the pillar that would have crushed her.

"All Units evacuate," Kakashi ordered as he went against his own orders and tried to move toward Sora. Sakura summoned every last ounce of strength she had to pull herself as close to the crumbling center as possible.

"Sora! Sasuke!" she shouted as the middle of the dome divided them with debris. She saw Sasuke turn, but Sora wasn't in her field of view.

"Get her out of here Naruto!" Sasuke shouted before dirt and rocks caved from the ceiling before them.

Naruto grabbed hold of Sakura and held onto her screaming form tight. "Naruto up here!" came a shout from above. He caught sight of CIA Agents above the opening in the dome and wasted no time using his harnessed energy to catapult Sakura and himself up above the crumbling foundation.

Sakura didn't have time to wonder about how they were jumping through the air so easily. Sasuke and Sora were still in that building.

Naruto had landed squarely on the ground just as the sound of a blast shook the surface, knocking them to the ground. Waves of electricity combined with the rainfall, igniting the night's sky. Naruto moved her out of harm's way, pulling her back towards the waiting group of Agents.

"Sakura!" Kakashi shouted as he emerged from the side of the rubble. Sakura couldn't see reason as everything happened faster than she could process. Why was this happening? Why didn't the let her go to Sora?

"Sora!" she screamed as the building began to cave within itself. Flames licked the ground and the rubble shooting out of the sky. "No!" she shouted trying to run toward the chaos. Kakashi grabbed hold of her and held on tight as she struggled and cried out for her son.

She was oblivious to everything and everyone surrounding her as she struggled in her weakened state to run towards the flames. Her emotions had taken over. Kakashi began dragging her away towards the medical ward, when he spotted them.

They all watched as a black figure could be seen coming out of the chaos. The light from the fire illuminated him, until Sasuke made his way toward them emerging from the fiery pit, his movements lighting fast. When he came within view, he could be seen carrying an unconscious Sora in his arms.

Sakura stopped her struggling when she saw Sasuke walking toward her with Sora in his arms. She stopped screaming when she knew that Sora was okay.

She stopped moving when her body decided to give out.

The last thing she could have sworn she saw before her eyes gave out was Sasuke walking toward her…as a winged beast.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE: **

**REVIEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW if it intrigued you enough. **

**On a side note, I read Chapter 614 in the manga yesterday morning and I will not give out any spoilers…but WHAT THE F***! Unacceptable Kishimoto. UNF******ACCEPTABLE! I still love you for creating Naruto…but F****! TOO MUCH!**


	39. The Burden of Love

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 39: The Burden of Love**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**CIA Base:**

There could have only been one word to describe the sequence of events following the mission: Bedlam.

A full scale investigation was launched into the current Sound Operation takedown. Every Agent was interviewed and cross examined to eliminate any potential accomplices of Danzo Shinamura. No question was left unasked and no avenue of possibility was left unexplored. The task took a grueling three weeks to accomplish before the CIA was satisfied that Danzo had acted alone in the matter.

That's not to say that his plans hadn't left a deep impact on the agency's leaders and Special Agents.

The CIA was meant to protect and serve the nation from danger. That's why the organization only recruited the most extraordinary of people to bear the burden of that task; protecting citizens from evils the world may never know were there. Yet one of their own was responsible for countless deaths, all in the name of power.

What made it worse was that the biggest victims were also one of their own. That was the hardest truth to accept, and days of speculation and questions ultimately warranted the need for the findings of the investigation to be presented to those it affected the most.

And so, three weeks post incident, the best of the best the CIA had to offer sat in their command center, eagerly awaiting the news.

"What the hell is taking them so long?" Tenten asked to no one in particular as she toyed with a senbon needle between her fingers. She was eager to get back to the nursery and check on her children. Ino felt the same way, as the residual distrust of the agency lingered and parents were still paranoid about their children's safety.

"It's taken them this long just to compile all their info," Neji remarked. "Whatever they have to say to us will not be easy to absorb,"

"No kidding captain obvious," Kiba retorted from the other side of the room. Neji didn't even bother glaring at the jab, though he did notice Tenten point the senbon toward Kiba in a threatening manner. Kiba noticed as well and shifted in his seat.

"It's been three weeks. As if we haven't waited long enough," Ino huffed. "We know it's going to be intense but sitting here and waiting for nearly forty-five minutes is pushing it,"

"Be patient," Yamato ordered from his spot standing by the wall. The room was filled to capacity with Agents, who were getting more hostile by the minute. "When something this close to home occurs, it takes a while to process. It's happened before, and it's always worse when history repeats itself against our best efforts,"

Shikamaru leaned back in his seat and sighed. "Nothing about our line of work is ever pleasant or easy to handle," he commented, wishing beyond anything he could take a much needed nap. "But keeping us all waiting like this is such a drag," he sighed as Ino nodded in agreement.

Gaara showed no reaction to that statement. He and his siblings were also asked to participate in the meeting, since he had been involved in the initial investigation. Kankuro and Temari flanked him as they leaned against the opposite wall, assessing their Tokyo branch colleagues with amusement.

The table consisted of Neji, Tenten, Rock Lee, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Shino, Kiba and Kurenai. Asuma, Yamato, and Guy stood behind them by the wall. All of them added to the hum of voices as they waited for the meeting to start.

Gaara let his gaze linger on Naruto, sitting by his wife Hinata on the other side of them and staring pointedly at a spot on the table in deep thought. Though the room was pretty full, there were still some notable people absent from this meeting, namely Sasuke and Sakura. That must have been weighing heavily in Naruto's mind.

The door finally opened, gaining everyone's silence as Tsunade, Shizune and Kakashi entered. Surprisingly enough, Kakashi took a seat by Naruto instead of leading the meeting. Beginning this ordeal was all on Tsunade.

"I have the fun task of letting you all know what's been going on," she began. "I advise you to brace yourselves,"

She looked over the sea of people before her, taking in a deep breath before saying "This past year has been a slow progression into what had escalated into the event three weeks ago. After a thorough investigation, we soon came to realize that this occurrence was actually years in the making,"

"It was at the height of the Orochimaru's take down," she continued. "Danzo Shinamura had been lobbying to be the leader of the CIA for quite some time. He created the ROOT division of our Black Ops unit and thought that would give him the edge. But Kakashi had become leader at that point, and was fully invested in the Sound Operation. Danzo thought the quickest way to eliminate Kakashi was through his daughter,"

Naruto tightened his fist on the table, tensing for what was coming. Hinata held onto his hand in reassurance. Kakashi listened with a quiet demeanor, oddly detached from what was being said.

"That's when Sakura became the center of this mess," she continued. "In his own sick little way, Danzo wanted Sakura's end to come from her father. That's why he made the offer to Kakashi to use one of his ROOT division Agents as a guard for Sakura. What we didn't know was that Sai was a Black Ops _assassin_. His mission was to kill Sakura Haruno at an opportune time during the Orochimaru investigation. Since the mission lasted nearly two years, Sai was never given the signal to kill her until later," she said before giving off an odd smile.

"By some miracle, or something inexplicable, Sai fell in love with her. That's another story, and no one but Sakura and Sai will know of it. But Sai knew of Danzo's real motives, and since he refused to kill her, he was forced to carry out ROOT missions under the table. He quit the CIA when his son was born, but we had no idea that Danzo was forcing Sai to do his bidding by threatening Sora's safety,"

Naruto's fist turned white from the pressure of clenching so hard at that news. He was flooded with memories of the night Sai asked him for help protecting his family. To carry such a burden alone without anyone to turn to must have been hell. Regret was heavy in all their hearts for Sai's life.

Kakashi noted the tension radiating from Naruto and understood what must have been running through his mind. Naruto viewed every Agent in the CIA as a friend and would go to any lengths to help them. _Those who break the rules are scum. But those that abandon their friends are worse than scum_. It was the most important lesson Kakashi had passed onto Naruto, who had passed it on to everyone else in the room.

The mantra must have been playing in everyone's head at that point, judging from the guilt he could sense from each of them. He also knew that whatever his fellow Agents felt, it paled in comparison to the guilt Kakashi would carry for the rest of his life.

"It needs to be told, just how extraordinary of man Sai was," Tsunade continued. "I did some digging into Danzo's training methods for ROOT. His goal was to strip each individual of their emotions, humanity, and even their sense of self in order to have the capacity to carry out the most inhuman tasks without question. He accomplished this by recruiting orphaned children, training them in pairs and letting them intentionally form close bonds…," she said, her words heavy with implication for what was next. "…he then forces them to a battle to the death with the only person they have ever been able to love,"

"Oh God," Ino whispered, thinking how devastating this would be for Sakura to learn. Shikamaru squeezed her hand under the table knowingly.

"When Sai was given the task to kill Sakura…I have no doubts that exactly what he intended to do," Tsunade said. "That is, until he got to know her. She was unknowingly able to bring him back to life. We all saw how he had changed around her. Sai chose to protect his new family and stay as far away from the CIA as possible…but he had always known of Danzo's plans to betray the agency for the Sound Organization. For the sake of his wife and son, as well as all of us, Sai confronted Danzo…and was killed," she stated.

Guilt continued to saturate the room with the news.

"Did we ever find out Sai's cause of death?" Neji asked after no one spoke for minutes. "I recall that it was under mysterious circumstances,"

"I'm curious as well," Shikamaru added. "I wasn't able to find anything conclusive when you asked me to look into his death a while back,"

Tsunade nodded. "Danzo implants ROOT Agents with something known as a binding seal. It's a paralytic agent implanted in all ROOT agents that can be activated at will. This was more of an insurance to keep Agents in line, and the evidence wouldn't have shown on an autopsy. In the end, his cause of death was cardiac arrest from paralysis. He did not suffer,"

That news however did nothing to lessen the impact of the situation. Tsunade cleared her throat, determined to set everything straight soon.

"After that, Danzo got in touch Kabuto Yakushi and aided him in kidnapping hundreds of people to use for his regenerative and other biological experiments. Their association has yet to be fully understood, but it's suspected that Kabuto was also a member of ROOT at some point in his childhood before he turned over to the Sound Organization. He is also responsible for Danzo's crazy ass arm that wasn't fun dissecting. The cherry blossom on top of all this is Sakura once again," she said wryly. "Kabuto just happened to be obsessed with her medical prowess and chose her to be the ultimate body to use for his experiments. The kicker? The sick fuck was trying to revive Orochimaru and use her as a vessel," she huffed as her control over her emotions began to waver. She really needed a drink after this.

"Holy shit," Kiba muttered as the room became even more tension filled.

"Do you suppose it would have worked?" Shino asked. In unison, everyone turned to stare pointedly at him. He straightened in his seat and said. "I only ask because the remnants of Kabuto Yakushi's body we recovered contained a partial foreign body that resembled Orochimaru. Why? Because he tried to use himself as a vessel, before he realized he needed a woman,"

"Jeez Shino," Kiba exhaled.

"No, it wouldn't have worked, but not because of why you may think," Tsunade answered. "On some level, Kabuto knew it wouldn't. That's why he decided to kidnap Sora and Suki. Danzo saw his chance to dangle the bait in front of Kabuto by getting him into that conference. When Kabuto ran into them at the Gala last Christmas, he assumed they were twins; Uchiha twins to be precise. What he wanted to accomplish was to build the vessel Orochimaru had wanted for himself, which was a body with the Sharingan,"

Gaara, who had remained silent long enough, decided to chime in.

"What is the status of Sasuke Uchiha?" he asked. Tsunade resisted rolling her eyes.

"I was getting there," she answered. "Sasuke has been in the custody of Black Ops since the mission ended. He's been subjected to our interrogation unit with Ibiki and answered all questions we had about his involvement in all this. The only reason he was cooperative though was to gain access to the children and aid them in containing their Sharingan,"

"How are the children?" Kurenai asked with concern. The things she heard about what they had endured was frightening. Tsunade chanced a quick glance at Kakashi, who had taken to staring pointedly at the table along with Naruto. She knew he was reaching his wits end with this mess, particularly with the kids.

"Suki Uchiha has since gained control over her Sharingan," she began. "Itachi Uchiha has been seeing to her training, at first to subdue it, and then gain as much control over it as a young girl could. Now that she's unleashed it, Suki will need constant training to control her abilities. Over all, she doesn't seem to have sustained any physical damage. Ibiki has worked with her to gauge her psychological state in regards to her kidnapping. With therapy and close monitoring, Suki will be fine,"

"And Sora?" Yamato asked. Then tension in the room was almost palpable. Most of the Agents had witnessed Sora's state that night, and feared what she would say.

"It's a miracle he survived," she answered truthfully. "Sora was subjected to a massive transfusion process that has since permanently altered his DNA. His rare type AB blood acted like a sponge, enabling him to accept Suki's blood and the amenities that come with it. He is now the only member outside the Uchiha family to naturally possess and wield the Sharingan. He was also branded with Orochimaru's curse seal. The properties of the curse haven't been fully researched, and we had no idea how to proceed with stabilizing Sora, let alone extract it if possible. There was only one person with both the Sharingan and the curse that could help him…and so Sasuke was charged with teaching Sora how to control himself,"

The room began to hum with disbelieving voices, forcing Tsunade to raise her own to silence them. "Calm yourselves. Uchiha may be one of the most dangerous criminals we have in the bingo book, but he's also a father. We had absolutely no choice but to allow this for Sora's sake and it did pay off. Sora has since been declared stable. Like Suki, he'll need constant training and psychological evaluations to gain control over his abilities. Sasuke is a vital part in both children's future and their full recovery,"

"Will Sasuke be tried for his past crimes?" Asuma asked. "His role in all of this fills in a lot of gaps from the Orochimaru investigation,"

"Sasuke will be faced with a trial, and everything we learned will be considered in regards to his fate," she answered. "Sasuke is facing charges for serious crimes, and I couldn't even begin to guess what the outcome of all this will be. But thus far, he's been compliant and forthcoming. The only thing he couldn't answer was Shin's hatred toward him,"

"Whatever became of Sai's brother?" Gaara asked.

Tsunade inhaled deeply, wishing this was over. "Danzo lied when he said he had killed Shin. We recovered him in the aftermath of the explosion. He was a good enough distance away to avoid the worst of it at the time. We treated him here at the base for as long as we could, however it wasn't enough. He succumbed to his illness,"

"…When?" Ino asked.

"Last night," she answered. "We'll never know how Shin became a part of this mess, or what made him turn around and aid Sakura in her escape. Those secrets died with him, and I wouldn't put it past Sakura to continue keeping us in the dark. She's the only one that knows now,"

The mention of Sakura brought on another wave of silent apprehension.

"How is she?" Naruto asked speaking for the first time since the meeting began. In the three weeks since Sakura and the children had been brought back to the CIA, none of the other Agents had access to see her, or check up on her condition. This wasn't due to protocol…it was because Sakura herself refused to see them.

"She was barely well enough to stay with Shin and tried to nurse him back to health even in her condition. But she knew it was hopeless. When Shin finally passed, Sakura had had enough of her lockdown here and we decided it was best to let her go home when she began threatening her security guards. Bunch of whimps," she muttered remembering how they nearly cowered in fear before her.

The guys who witness Sakura's Dojo adventure begged to differ. They couldn't blame the guards for being scared of her. Not only was she strong, she was the boss's daughter. If she didn't do them in, Kakashi would.

"Was she in any condition to go home?" Naruto asked with concern. They all remembered just how broken and beaten she looked that night.

"Not entirely," Tsunade admitted. "But she is a doctor, and one of the worst patients I've ever encountered. Her pride was just as injured and I don't think she could handle being here any longer. The worst of her injuries have healed and I know she'll do what she must to recover at home,"

"And Sasuke?" Naruto asked. "Does he know she's gone?"

Tsunade sighed. This meeting was slowly digressing into non-essential information. "He's been informed of her decision to go home. We're not done with him by a long shot, and he knows this. He also knows the children are with her. Itachi has been tasked with watching over them until further notice, and before you all ask, he's been cleared of any involvement in all of this," she said, knowing full well that Itachi must have been a major player in the background, but somehow managed to cover his tracks to the point where they couldn't accuse him of anything. That was frightening in itself, but they didn't need to know that.

"It's all too much," Naruto said. "She's already had to endure everything crumbling around her. How is she going to handle it when she learns about all this? Not to mention the truth behind Sai"

Unfortunately for her, Tsunade knew exactly how Sakura was going to handle it. "There's a reason we were late beginning this meeting," she answered. "Everything I have just said to you, I said to her first. I owed her that much at the very least. I don't know how long it will take for her adjust to all this information, but I suggest that those of you that know her personally wait until she's ready to come to you,"

They didn't like that suggestion, but they didn't have a choice. Sakura had a lot of thinking to do, and they only hoped that forgiveness was in there somewhere.

* * *

**Kakashi's POV: **

Kakashi left the meeting and headed straight toward the ANBU Interrogation Unit. Everyone moved out of the Commanders way as he walked through the agency, well aware of where he was headed and why. It had become his daily routine to go down there and get an update on what they had gathered in regards to their newest captive.

The gossip spread like wildfire when Uchiha Sasuke was brought into custody, but it wasn't only because of his criminal history. It was due to the shocking sense of déjà vu when it came to his involvement with the Commanders daughter, Sakura.

The irony of a doctor falling in love with two different assassins, both of whom had saved her life was almost too much to take in.

Kakashi ignored the talk as best he could, but knew it was to be expected. Things like this didn't happen every day. This particular day was exceptionally exhausting, and he wanted to get it over with quickly.

He suddenly found himself flanked by two bodies. "There you are!" Guy exclaimed dramatically. His voice echoed in the acoustic halls.

"No need to shout Guy," Asuma said.

"Do you two need something?" Kakashi asked, not breaking his stride.

"We're just here for insurance," Asuma replied.

They approached the Interrogation Unit, nodding at the two guards who allowed him access and went into the darkened corridor where Ibiki was there to meet him.

"There doesn't seem to be any more we can get out of him," Ibiki said, forgoing a greeting. "He's confessed to everything we've asked and complied with demonstrations of his abilities,"

"Something none of us will ever forget," Kakashi replied, thinking back to the day they had Sasuke reveal all the abilities he acquired from the Sound organization.

"He's been subjected to all of the tests from the medical research team as well," Ibiki continued. "All that awaits him now is the trial,"

"And he'll get his day," said Kakashi. "Everything regarding the agency has been done. Now I have a personal matter to settle with him,"

Ibiki shifted, sensing the underlying tone in his words. Kakashi wasn't speaking as the Commander, but as a father. Asuma and Guy picked up on it as well.

"Should we be concerned?" Asuma asked. Kakashi almost sighed.

"I'm not going to kill him, if that's what you're worried about," he answered vaguely.

"What we're worried about is you losing your youthful cool again," said Guy. "Why do you think we're here?"

Asuma and Ibiki shifted uncomfortably again. Kakashi didn't respond to Guy's obvious reference to the incident with Sai all those years ago. This may have been similar, but the foundation couldn't have been more different.

Kakashi had been tight ball of tension for the past three weeks. Now that Sakura and the children weren't at base anymore, he needed to settle things with Sasuke now. The father in him wouldn't rest until he did. He was never one to make the same mistake twice, and this time he had too much to lose to let history repeat itself.

The image of a broken and bloodied Sakura was forever burned into his brain. He felt like a failure as a father and no amount of saying otherwise would reach him. Doing what was best for his daughter had always come first. He had sacrificed so much time _from _her to _protect _her…but at what cost? Try as he might, he had missed much in her life. She grew up in the blink of an eye…and he wasn't the only man in her life anymore.

His daughter's heart was in the hands of Uchiha Sasuke. He needed to make sure those hands wouldn't break that fragile heart any more than it was.

Asuma placed his hand on his shoulder. "Just don't kill him alright?" he said. Kakashi gave them a look, but otherwise said nothing as he walked past them and into the interrogation room. Ibiki gave him the courtesy of turning the viewing and listening capabilities off.

Whatever Kakashi and Sasuke had to discuss, they would never know.

* * *

**Kakashi's Office: **

Anko took reprieve in Kakashi's office as she waited for him to return. She couldn't stand the gossip mill the agency had become, and frankly she had more important things to worry about. When he returned from his meeting with Sasuke, Kakashi was no worse for wear. Anko raised a brow from her spot on his couch. She expected him to come back with a bruise or two at the very least.

"Well what do you know? You _can_ control yourself," she said. Kakashi sighed.

"Did everyone think I was out for blood?" he asked.

"Pretty much," she replied with a smirk. He made his way over and crouched down before her, watching as she held their sleeping boy.

"How's he doing today?" he asked warmly.

Hatake Obito was born exactly five minutes after they had gotten back from the retrieval mission. For once, Kakashi had made it just in time for the birth of his son. He was an array of negative emotion with this investigation, but he didn't think it was remotely possible to be even more content at the same time, until now.

"I think he's still trying to read my mind and figure out who I am," she answered seriously. "We've been having staring contests more often than not,"

Obito was the spitting image of his father with pale spikey hair, dark lazy eyes, and an air of quiet mystery in his expression. He was still too young to determine temperament, but he was already showing signs of superior intellect (or so Anko claimed when he reached for one of her dangos instead of his bottle). Obito's birth only strengthened his resolve to finally do right by his children.

"At least he got to meet his sister," Kakashi commented. "Right now, I think he's the only one she doesn't have a problem with," he said. Just before Sakura left the agency, she surprised them both by stating that she wanted to meet her little brother. The atmosphere between them was still tense, but put on hold just for Obito.

He was able to make out a ghost of a smile for her brother before she left. His life had turned into quite the soap opera. "I should tell Tsunade sooner rather than later," he muttered, placing his hand over Obito's head fondly.

"I suggest you wait till she's drunk enough to accept your decision," Anko replied, handing him the baby while she took a much needed break.

"Do you accept my decision?" he asked, watching her get comfortable on the couch.

"I expected it, if that's what you mean," she replied, finally getting settled. "It's been on your mind for the past year. I'm just curious about what she'll say," she said just as a knock on the door was heard.

Tsunade entered his office, taking in the sight of them and raising a brow.

"You look like you could use a drink," she said pulling out a bottle of sake from nowhere and smiling like she's already been drinking, which she probably has. She looked at Anko before giving her a smirk. "None for you," she said evilly. Anko was tempted to flip her off, but decided she needed that finger to function.

"That I do," Kakashi said. "But I wanted to talk to you first,"

"Of course you did," Tsunade said. "Been doing a bit of thinking have you?"

"I thought I was doing the right thing for Sakura by focusing on my work to keep to her safe," he said. "I've chosen my work over being with my child and that hasn't turned out the way I thought it would. My daughter deserved better from me. My son won't face the same neglect,"

"Congratulations on your new child by the way," she said to the both of them. "I didn't deliver this one, but Shizune tells me he has promise,"

"He'll get the chance, and more time from me" Kakashi said looking down at the baby in his arms. "But Sakura is what started all this,"

"…Sasuke as well," Tsunade finished. "Are you prepared to handle his vow?" she asked, smirking at the surprise in his eyes. "You didn't think that encounter was a secret did you? I know everything that goes on around here,"

That she does, he thought. He should have realized that years ago. He was never good with time. It seemed to just speed up and slow down as it chooses; never giving him the chance to realize what was going on. He was always late for something, and no lamebrain excuse he came up with could save him from someone's wrath.

The first time he became a father, he was barely an adult and totally unprepared for it. Somehow his eldest turned out superb. The second time was also a surprise, but he learned a thing or two from his past. He wouldn't be making the same mistakes twice.

He looked down at his son and felt his resolve strengthen. He made his choice.

Tsunade watched him get lost in his thoughts. She knew what was coming, hence the Sake. "Do you ever feel like things happen for a reason?" she asked.

"Things happen because of something all the time," he responded. "On occasion we may discover a purpose for them, intended or not,"

She stared at him exasperatedly. "…A simple 'yes' would have sufficed," she muttered. "I'm talking about this entire situation from start to finish. Everything and everyone had some part in this scheme,"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," he said.

"I already handled your rehash session after you told Sakura. I can handle this too," she said.

"I'm not talking about just this one time," he said. "Danzo may be a lot of things, but he was right when he said it was time my reign as leader ended. It should have ended long ago and as a matter of fact I don't think it should have ever started. It's time I give more of it to my family. I want you to take my place as leader,"

A few moments of silence ensued as she processed his wish. Like she said before, she knew everything that went on in the agency and had a say in everything that was done here. She was leading, even when she didn't realize it. But for now, it was about releasing the burden from someone else, and taking it upon herself.

What it came down to was this: would she be able to handle it?

"…ah hell," Tsunade said before diving for the bottle.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

The days that followed after the kidnapping were some of the most traumatic she had ever experienced. The entire first week was spent in the CIA hospital, and half the time she was either unconscious or sedated. She had to be treated for shock, exhaustion, dehydration, and numerous flesh wounds that were tempting infection. She was knocked out for three full days before she was able to fully wake up.

They told her everything they knew. Tsunade and her father had tag teamed to give her the run down, and to gauge her response to it all.

Sakura listened to all they had to say with stoic horror. She didn't know what kind of world this was anymore. It was surreal, and far more dangerous than she could have imagined. Each new bit of information implanted itself into her brain, strengthening her resolve to take her kids and get the hell out of there.

But there was one thing she had to do first.

_She sat by his bed and held his hand tight. Shin was attached to every monitor they had, and Sakura was torn. She knew this was the end. _

_His was pale and sickly looking. Numerous injuries covered his body, but Sakura knew the real damage was on the inside. The toxicity had spread, and he was only alive now because of the machines. She tried everything she could to help him, even pleaded with Tsunade to find a way to save him, but it was no use. _

_The sound of his harsh breathing caught her attention, and Sakura looked up to find him staring at her. She tightened her grip on his hand as he assessed his surroundings. He was hooked up to machines, and he could barely feel his body. He looked to their clasped hands before assessing her. _

_She was also in a hospital gown and robe, sitting by his bed in a wheelchair. Her eyes bore into his in despair, and suddenly Shin knew. _

"_I'm dead aren't I?" he asked quietly. Sakura's face fell. _

"_You're on life support," she answered. "You had gone too long without meds," she said letting a tear escape. Shin seemed amused._

"_You're crying for me?" he asked as she wiped the tear away. "After everything I had done to you?" _

"_I just found you," she cried. "I don't want to lose you," _

_He seemed confused by that statement. She had his hand in a vice grip, surprising him with her strength. "I'm no loss to you Sakura," he said. _

"_Yes you are!" she countered. "There was so much I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to get to know you, I wanted…" she stopped, unable to continue. _

"_I almost killed you," he reminded. "Have you forgotten that?" _

"_You saved me," she whispered. "You saved my children. I wouldn't have survived without you. I owe you my life," _

"_You owe me nothing," he countered. "Not even your tears," _

"_You're getting them anyway," she said as they continued to fall. "This isn't right. I shouldn't have to lose you too. I wanted Sora to meet you," _

_The mention of his nephew struck a chord within him. "He shouldn't have to know what part I played in all this," _

"_Don't talk yourself down," she ordered. "You're his uncle; a link to his father. At the very least I wanted him to know you. He'll never know Sai, but he could have at least had you and known more about his family. I know you had your reasons for doing what you did, but I'm still going to thank you Shin" _

_Shin didn't know what to make of her. She was acting like she was going to lose her best friend, when he was her enemy up until the end. Seeing her there, crying for him and genuinely telling him he was family was an eye opener. This one could make you forget what you were here for. She could love without boundaries, and suddenly it all made sense. _

"_I should be thanking you. I see now what my brother saw in you," he said to her surprised face. "You saved Sai's heart from emptiness. You gave him his humanity back. You gave him something to live for. You saved my brother, when I abandoned him. For that, I thank you," he said in a weakening voice. "Take care of my nephew. And take care…of Aya's daughter. She's yours now," _

_Sakura let the tears fall freely now, fully aware that he was reaching his end. "I will. I'm happy I got to meet you Shin," she said, holding his hand close to her heart. His breathing began to dull, and a quiet calm was washing over his features. She stayed by his side for days after that, until he finally gave his last breath. _

_On the bedside table next to him, she laid down the small black book and let it fall open to the middle, where the two brothers had finally met again. _

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, tears streaming down her cheeks. The pain of losing Shin, so soon after meeting him, was raw and biting. She knew there was nothing she could have done. Losing him was a tragedy, and until she revealed the truth about him to all the others in the CIA, she would be the only one to think so. She knew they didn't see him the way she did.

It didn't matter anymore though. Shin was gone, and the only comfort Sakura would take for herself was the fact that he was now with the two people he loved most: his brother and his true love. She vowed that the moment she was able to, she would arrange for Shin to have a proper burial in Kyoto, next to Sai.

Her thoughts began to wander and soon she found herself focusing on more pleasant things. So many secrets had made themselves known. One secret that she didn't mind was her little brother. Hatake Obito stole her heart the minute his wise little gaze met hers. He was almost a perfect copy-cat of their father, mysterious eyes and all.

She only hoped he wouldn't pick up on her father's habit of reading erotic novels. She knew about those, regardless of how much he tried to hide it. She was also properly introduced to Anko Mitarashi, and an unspoken agreement between the three of them was made right then and there. They wouldn't try to label this new family unit. They were what they were, awkwardness aside.

Movement next to her caught her attention. Sora had kicked off his portion of the blanket and shifted in an awkward position. A few more tosses and he'd fall off the edge. Suki also moved, but closer to Sakura, almost clinging to her midsection.

It was the strangest thing. Ever since she had gotten the children back, there was not one night where the three of them slept apart. In that time Sakura noticed that if one moved, the other would move as well, almost in synch. They were so conscious of each other it was almost frightening, and when she thought of why this occurred it only validated that fear.

Sora had been transfused with Suki's blood. Suki's genetic abilities were therefore given to Sora, who had gotten not only the Sharingan, but the curse seal as well. Her son now carried the very same tattoo mark at the base of his neck; another thing he had identical to Sasuke.

With the kids smothering her the way they did, she just couldn't get comfortable in any position. She lay in bed at Sasuke's home under Tsunade's orders to remain on strict bed rest. She didn't argue. After the hell she endured, she needed it. The sheer volume of all she had tolerated within the year had concentrated to the point where her mind was unable to cope.

Sighing, she looked to the children sleeping next to her in the large bed. She slowly got out of bed, deciding that talking a short walk would calm her back into sleep. She carefully tucked Sora back into place near Suki and kissed both their cheeks before heading outside.

The night was warm and balmy for June. She wore a short sleeve t-shirt and shorts. A little walking wouldn't do her any harm.

Sakura walked around the grounds at Sasuke's house, and began to let her thoughts occupy her. The kids were asleep, safe and sound in their bed, and all immediate threats were gone. Everyone was safe. Nothing should have bothered her at this point.

Yet she was so restless.

She was a flurry of emotions. She was relieved everything was out. There were no more secrets, but she still had to pull tooth and nail to get it out of those that mattered. It would take time to adjust to all she knew, but she had the time to wait now. It would do her good to diffuse the sense of betrayal that lingered.

The emotion she felt the most these days was anger, and not at whom she should be angry with. She was angry with herself.

She had entire list of people who were perfectly good targets for her rage: The entire CIA, Kabuto, Danzo, Shin, even Sai and Sasuke. All of them were suitable and more than deserving of her wrath.

Yet she was the one person she couldn't forgive.

It didn't take her long to reach that conclusion either. She had plenty of time to do nothing but think about anything and everything that's happened within this past year. How could she have been so blind?

How was it possible for one person to be the center of so much chaos? How was it possible to miss it? She was a brilliant doctor with a mind sharper than a scalpel, or so she's been told; a medical prodigy and leader in her field.

You would think someone like that wouldn't be so oblivious wouldn't you?

It was only to protect her. That's how they all justified it. But she was able to call it like it was. It was deception.

The romantic notion of leading a double life for the sake of your loved ones was only in TV. It lost all its appeal in the real world. They made her look like a fool; a weak, pathetic fool who had no say or control over her life. She was beyond angry now. She was pissed.

She paced in front of the Sakura tree in the yard. A mild breeze blew, as if the wind was trying to calm her down. Try as she might, she couldn't hold back the tears that fell down her cheeks. She could feel the emotional onslaught building and knew she was about to have a good cry. Damn her hormones.

She sat at the base of the Sakura tree, leaning against its trunk as the tears streamed down her face.

She had to find it in herself to forgive them all. She would have no peace until she did. Finding her place in this madness was crucial. If anyone thought she could just go back to her La-La Land life like nothing had ever happened, they were dead wrong.

Her eyes had been opened to the insane dangers that roam this earth. The CIA was the only organization equipped to handle such evils, or the only one she knew of anyway. She respected the institution, and beyond that were the people that dedicated their lives to prevent the spread of evil.

Her friends were amazing people. She had a choice to make, because there was so much more at stake than just her. She thought of Sora and Suki asleep in their beds. Instinctively, she placed a hand over her belly and held it there.

She was three and a half months pregnant by now.

New life was growing within her. When she was finally able to process her condition she realized she was about eight weeks pregnant at the time of her capture. She must have conceived on the night of her birthday, just before the shooting.

If anything, she had to be strong for this new little one, whom she already loved the moment she realized she carried him or her under the trees with Shin. Her "baby bump" was making itself known at this point, but still very concealable.

Thinking about her new baby made her think about Sasuke.

He plagued her thoughts by day and haunted her dreams at night. She wanted him by her side. She wanted him to hold her and tell her everything would be alright, that he would never leave her again. But most of all, she needed him to tell her what she meant to him.

That was the one question she needed him to answer most.

No matter how angry she tried to be, she still loved him. She loved him more than she knew was possible to love someone. He meant everything to her, and the hurt of his abandonment lingered with the constant fear of never seeing him again.

She didn't know what was happening with him in the CIA. Her father had told her that unraveling Sasuke's past would take time. He needed to answer for his part in all of this, and as much as she wanted to protest, there was not a damn thing she could do to stop them.

She needed to see him, yet she had no idea what she would say or do when she did. She was a whirlwind of emotions.

She stayed by the tree until she could calm herself. Getting worked up wasn't good for the baby, and after everything she had endured in the past three months, she needed to keep it together. She let her hands roam gently over her abdomen, as if to calm the little life within. The warm perfumed air from the tree blossoms and the gentle breeze helped her relax, lulling her to sleep within minutes.

She dreamed of him. She tried to recall everything about him: his touch, scent, voice, and those unending eyes of his; eyes that were watching her, even now.

Bare moments had passed before he decided to make himself known. He had been too absorbed into watching her pace about the yard, shaking with the need to go to her when she fell asleep against the tree.

He approached her and took in the sight with hungry Sharingan eyes that glowed in the darkness. He didn't think it was possible, but she was even more beautiful than he could ever remember her being. He knelt by her, his hand outstretched to finally make contact with her.

His hand settled on her cheek as his eyes processed every detail about her. She leaned into his touch as he caressed the side of her face. Instinctively, she shifted her hand over her abdomen protectively.

The center of his being filled with an emotion he couldn't describe. A loving and fierce protectiveness he had never known consumed him. Sakura had become more than he had ever imagined possible. She was his heart, his soul, his center.

And she belonged to him, as much as he belonged to her.

He had made her endure so much on her own, leaving her to make things right. But he still failed to protect her and their children. They barely escaped death, and for that he would never forgive himself. He needed her too much, and not even her anger toward him would keep him away from her any longer.

His thumb caressed the angle of her cheekbone, brushing just under her eyelashes. He wished she would open her eyes and let him get lost in emerald green. As if reading his thoughts, her eyes opened and blinked wearily as they focused on him. She looked at him tenderly and lifted her hand to touch his face.

"Sasuke," she whispered.

"Hn," he muttered. She gave him a weak smile, letting her hand rest on his cheek. The feel of his skin under her fingertips, along with her growing consciousness sent reality kicking in. Her eyes widened when she finally registered that he wasn't a dream. She looked around, remembering where she was before shifting away from him.

Sasuke didn't appreciate the way she recoiled from his touch. She scrambled to her feet and put a good ten feet between them. He stood slowly and watched her gather herself. She looked completely flustered.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing. There he stood; looking at her with those blood red orbs and dressed in the same black attire he had when he left.

"Sasuke?" she asked trying to get her heart rate back to normal. "What are you doing here? The CIA had you in solitary, or so they said,"

"They did," he answered. It took a minute before she realized he wasn't going to elaborate on that. She shook her head and crossed her arms. Not this again.

"You escaped from the CIA?"

"Hn,"

"….Are they going to come swarming over here to take you away? Or are you just going to disappear again?" she asked. The anger in her voice told him she wasn't going to forgive him for that.

"Sakura I had to go," he stated. "You know I had to if I was ever going to stop this,"

"No," she said. "No I didn't know what you had to. You didn't tell me anything! You don't get to justify your actions to me now. I know the all the who's and what's and whys of the disaster that's been these past few weeks. I know all of that now, _after_ I was kidnapped. I went in there blind so I get to be mad Sasuke. I have that right," she stated. Seeing him here startled her emotions into overdrive.

"You need to calm down" he said, assessing her carefully. She was getting too worked up.

His eyes scanned her form as he tried to control himself. The need to touch her was overpowering his thoughts, and he had to listen to what she was telling him. It was time to pay his dues.

She was having an equally difficult time resisting him. She wanted him to hold her so badly it hurt, but she had to hold her ground.

Sasuke took a step toward her, then another when she didn't step back. He had closed half the distance between them before he spoke. "Did you think it was easy for me to leave you?"

"It sure looked that way," she answered. "Maybe you didn't want to, but you still…," she stopped, controlling her emotion. "You didn't trust me,"

"I couldn't risk your life," he said calmly. "You wouldn't have let me go without a fight,"

She looked at him sharply. "Did it ever occur to anyone that telling me what was going on would encourage my cooperation?"

"No," he said quickly. "You would have tried to help. You would have put yourself in the middle of everything,"

"I AM in the middle!" she shouted. "I was always in the middle of it! Did you think I was going to jump in there and make myself a target? I have two reasons not to do that, and they're asleep in their bed, hopefully dreaming of nothing but good things,"

"Sora and Suki are the reason I couldn't risk telling you," he responded. "I needed you safe for them,"

"Maybe you did," she whispered. "But that doesn't change the fact that this is about more than that Sasuke. I need you to admit that you didn't trust me. You still don't,"

"Sakura,"

"You don't Sasuke," she whispered again, tears shinning in her eyes. The fact that there was little trust between them hurt more than she cared to admit. "You just don't. If you trusted me, you would have told me what was going on. You would have opened up to me about your past, and everything you had to endure alone. Why couldn't you let me in? Why couldn't you let me help you with what you were going through?" she asked as the tears fell. "Did you think that I wouldn't help you carry that burden?"

"I didn't want you carrying any of my burdens. There was nothing you could have done," he answered. She closed her eyes, squeezing the tears out before looking at him dejectedly.

"Maybe that's what Sai thought as well," she said, surprising him. "Maybe you and Sai have even more in common that you can imagine, beyond your face value. You both tried to do everything alone. You both have dark pasts you tried to bury then carry on your shoulders. You both tried to conceal everything you thought would hurt me. And then finally…you both left me; you left your children,"

Sasuke grew tense as she compared him with Sai…because when she put it that way, she was right.

"Sai died before Sora could remember him," she continued. "But I still had to explain his father's absence when was old enough to understand. Suki was the same with her mother, but I don't think she could have recovered from losing you at this delicate age. I will never be enough for her. She's always going to need you,"

Sasuke looked at her in a way that sent warmth to her cheeks. "And _I'm_ always going to need _you_," he confessed.

She looked at him, lost. "Sasuke,"

"Everything I did was for you and the kids," he said. "Maybe it wasn't the best way, but I couldn't hold back anymore. I needed to find Kabuto and put an end to him. I had to protect you the only way I knew how. I had to become…" he stopped, not knowing how to tell her exactly what he was.

Sakura tensed when she thought about what she had seen that night, right before she passed out. Sasuke had…changed.

"What did you become?" she asked.

He didn't want to go there. It was the one thing he wished she would never see. How could he possibly explain that to her? She could see his hesitancy, but she needed to know.

"I became a monster," he said. "I became something even I never imaged I could become. Orochimaru's curse seal manipulated DNA, to the point where shape shifting was possible. I was…inhumane,"

She looked at him, confused. "But…how could that-"

"The line between possible and impossible is thinner than you know," he said. "What I became that night, I will never become again if I can help it. I never wanted you to see that side of me. How could I hope to have you if you found out what I was?"

"You couldn't…" she said. Her answer struck him like lightning, confirming his thought that she couldn't possibly want him. "There wasn't any hope for us, but not because of what you could do. It was because you doubted me. You underestimated me. You didn't think I was capable of understanding you. You doubted my love for you,"

Sasuke didn't dare deny that, but it didn't ease the tension that washed over him at hearing her say it out loud.

"When I told you I loved you…it wasn't with empty words," she continued. "It wasn't just to keep you from going. It wasn't just to keep you around for my son and it wasn't just so that I could be there for your daughter. It wasn't anything but the truth Sasuke, and you didn't trust that it was,"

She could see how tense he was becoming with each word. She needed to make him understand, no matter how hard it was for him to accept. She wiped her eyes, and step toward him.

"To love someone is more than just saying the words. To love someone…means accepting the bad with the good. To love someone is the greatest joy you can imagine, and the hardest thing to bear. I had the chance to love once. I never thought I could love again, until you. I need you to trust me. I am not much Sasuke…but my heart can't take another beating like this. I can't live a life of secrets anymore…I….," she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep her composure and failing miserably. She felt so exposed, so raw. "I'm not strong enough for this," she whispered.

His eyes reverted back to black as he looked at her, amazed that she could think so little of herself. She, in all her faults and graces, was the only woman he had ever known to possess his heart this way.

He didn't know what it meant to be loved, until she showed him how.

Sasuke couldn't handle the distance or her words any longer. He grabbed her surprised form and pulled her into his arms. All the emotion and time between them melted away as his eyes bored into hers.

Onyx met Emerald, and their worlds collided.

Their lips met harshly as they caved into their emotions. Sakura's arms clung to his neck in a desperate hold as he parted her lips and swallowed her moan.

There was so much more to say, so much more to confess. But for now, they just needed each other.

When his hands grasped her hips roughly, she arched her back and groaned in pain. Sasuke immediately released her, as if he had burned her. Sakura held her side tenderly, having forgotten the injury that was still healing there. She felt Sasuke's eyes on her side, and turned before he could see it.

He wouldn't have any of it though. He grasped her shoulders carefully, turning her back toward him.

Images of her, broken and bloody on the night of the attack, came flooding back into his mind. His eyes bored into hers, and suddenly he was determined to see just how badly she was hurt in all of this.

His fingers pulled at the drawstrings of her shorts. Her hand covered his, hesitant.

"Don't…," she whispered. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her scars.

He pulled her in and kissed her, eliminating all her thoughts of stopping him from his task. His kisses robbed her of control as he lifted her in his arms and proceeded to make his way back into the house, just as he had the first time they made love.

He took her into the closest downstairs bedroom and gently lay her down; unable to resist claiming her mouth again as he did so. He tugged at the strings and pushed her shorts down before his hands slid up and took her shirt with them.

Only when all barriers of cloth were removed did he finally see the remnants of her injuries. She didn't try to cover up, knowing it would be useless to hide the evidence of her physical pain from him. He knew they were there.

Moonlight from the windows cast an ethereal glow over her body. His hands caressed her right shoulder blade, where she was stabbed. He could feel the scar it left still smooth from healing. His fingers slid down to take hold of her wrists, where faint marks of being bound and cut remained. His hands shook as they travelled down her torso, smoothing down her sides until they reached her left hip, where the bullet barely missed her. The skin was healed over, but it would forever remain a scar.

He could feel his fury remembering the way that bastard Danzo played with her life. He remembered the way the gun slid down her form, stopping where it would hurt her most.

Sakura saw the rage and guilt filter through his bottomless orbs and felt her heart lurch at his pain. She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek, drawing his attention back to her eyes. Without words, she pulled him toward her and into a kiss that ignited their passion for one another.

He enveloped her in his strong arms, holding her close as his mouth devoured hers in aggressive rediscovery. This time there were no secrets between them.

The memory of his touch came rushing back to her senses as his hands left electric charges in their wake. His touches were feather light. He was being so gentle with her, as if she could break at any moment. He was mindful of every injury she had.

His lips trailed down her neck, his teeth scraping at her skin sending shivers down her spine as his hands found her sensitive breasts. She moaned while he kneaded her mounds, clutching at the cloth of his shirt. She finally had him back, and she wanted to feel him again. Sakura grasped the bottom of his shirt and pulled upward, forcing him to break his hold on her neck to get it off. The moment it was tossed aside he pulled her toward him, their bare chests colliding and lips smashing into each other once again.

His hands roamed down the planes of her back, stopping to grasp the flesh of her rear and hoist her up onto his lap, straddling him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, fastened herself against him. The feel of his arousal rubbed against her trough his pants as she moved against it. He groaned at the movement, squeezing her closer to himself.

The action made her straighten her spine as the slight twinge from her gunshot wound spread. He released his pressure, worried he had hurt her, but her arms stayed tight around his neck.

"Sasuke,"

"I don't want to hurt you," he groaned as his hands traveled over her skin.

"You won't," she whispered before kissing him. She could feel his hesitancy right alongside his desperate need for her. "I need you now,"

Sasuke couldn't take much more. He leaned forward, taking care to cushion her head on the pillow before hovering over her. The sight of her beneath him, breathless and beautiful sent his heart hammering in his chest. She helped him remove the rest of his clothing before he leaned down and captured her lips in a deep kiss, plunging into her and absorbing her moan.

He stayed still, relishing the feel of being with her again. Her back arched as he kissed her senseless. Their lips barely parted as his hooded eyes locked onto hers, wishing he could only find the words to say what she meant to him. He would just have to show her instead. He moved slowly as he hovered over her, weary of all her healing injuries. The pace was driving him insane, but he wouldn't let himself lose control.

Sakura breathlessly writhed beneath him with every move; regardless of the slight twinge it brought her side. Tears sprung from her eyes at having him back in her arms at last. Her hands roamed the sinewy planes of his back, her nails digging in as the sensations mounted with every push and pull of their bodies.

He kissed the tears away, which only prompted her to spill more tears at how gentle he was being with her. He might not have told her how he felt, but he was showing her.

His hands traveled in opposite directions, one sliding down her side to caress her wound, the other tangling itself into her silken hair and inhaling the scent of cherry blossoms.

The heat from his hand soothed the delicate skin of her injury. Any discomfort she had felt before was melting away as the pleasure continued to build. Her breathy moans and sighs heated his blood until he thought he would go insane from holding back.

Until she grew just as impatient.

"Sasuke," she groaned. The sound of his name coming from her lips went straight to his heart. It was then, in the heat of the moment, where he found what he had wanted to say to her.

"I love you," he breathed. She gasped as her eyes opened wide in shock. He met her gaze even as they continued to move with each other. He just couldn't hold back anymore. "Sakura,"

"Say it again," she whispered. "If you meant that, say it again,"

"I love you," he repeated. She choked back a sob as the tears sprang and rolled down her face. She lifted her head and found his lips. Sasuke couldn't contain himself anymore and suddenly increased his pace. Passion clouded their minds as he forcefully thrust into her writhing form. Her head fell back against the pillow as her legs tightened around his waist. Her nails dug deep into his back as the room filled with the sound of their breaths mingling.

Sakura arched her back as she came with Sasuke's name escaping her lips in desperate release. Sasuke's thrusts increased to a fever pitch as her walls enclosed around him, sending him over the edge soon after. He threw his head back with a groan, releasing his seed into her before lowering his head and capturing her gasping lips in a consuming kiss.

Sakura was overwhelmed with emotion. She couldn't stop the tears as they escaped down her cheeks. Her arms circled his neck, pulling him down until his full weight was upon her. He pulled out of her and wrapped his arms around her shaking form. He turned until he was resting on his side, bringing her close and locking her in his embrace.

Sakura's tears graduated into a sobbing as he held her, alarming him.

"Are you-"

"You didn't hurt me," she choked, knowing what he was worried about. "You..." she continued to cry into his chest, unable to properly form any words. She clung to him as if her life depended on it. "I missed you so much," she whispered.

"Sakura," he said, raising her chin with his hand. He gazed into her teary eyes and saw all the hurt that had accumulated in the weeks they had been apart. It had been months since he had last held her. Her soft body pressed against his and surrounded him with her scent. "I will never leave you again," he promised.

He wiped the tears from her eyes before pressing his lips against hers in a slow kiss meant to sooth away her anxiety. He could feel her heart pounding against his chest as her sobs quieted down and their gazes locked.

"I love you Sasuke," she whispered against his lips. Hearing her say the words to him again, after all this time made him feel like he could do anything. She should have hated him for what he did to her, yet here she was, safe and secure in his arms.

"I love you, Sakura," he said. "I always will," he promised. She smiled through fresh tears and buried her face in his chest.

The spent the next several minutes just wrapped in each other's arms. They knew there was more to talk about but the peace of the moment was too tempting to pass up. Sasuke couldn't stop touching her. His hands roamed her body possessively as if reclaiming what was his. His lips planted kisses all over her face and neck as he was rewarded with her sighs of pleasure.

Precious moments of peace passed as she settled herself against him. Her breathing evened out as he held her against his chest, and Sasuke assumed she had gone to sleep. It was a little past midnight, and he must have exhausted her.

He used that time to think about what he would need to tell her. Kakashi had made him an offer he couldn't refuse, but he knew he might have some trouble getting her on board. He needed to get things settled soon. A few more minutes passed before he decided to let her get some proper rest. Maybe check in on the kids.

But Sakura wouldn't let him move away from her. She slowly opened her eyes. "I was just going to check on them," he said referring to the children upstairs.

"The minute they find out you're here, they'll be all over you and won't let me get in edgewise," she said with a smile that took his breath away. "They love you, and missed you more than you could ever know,"

To a degree, Sasuke was glad he wasn't the one to see Sora and Suki grieve. He couldn't imagine what went through their minds, or what Sakura had to endure to keep them happy. It was selfish, yet Sasuke was able to admit that had the roles been reversed, he wouldn't have known what to do with them.

He could see himself leaving them to their own emotional devices, causing them to be vulnerable to the darkness. It happened to him. But Sakura had a strength in her that surpassed him: her ability to love.

He only knew now what it meant to love. If he were to ever lose Sakura, he knew he wouldn't be able to love again. She was his one and only.

Her hand came to rest gently on his cheek, drawing him out of his thoughts. She looked at him tenderly, her eyes hooded with love for him. "Promise me something," she whispered.

His hand clamped itself over hers and squeezed. "Anything,"

Sakura smiled before looking away. "…If…if anything were to ever happen to me…"

"Nothing will happen to you!" he interjected forcefully once he saw her direction. "You won't leave me, I won't let you," he yelled, surprising her at the panic in his voice. "Is something wrong? Are you feeling ill? Are-"

"Shhhhh," she hushed before leaning up and giving him a solid kiss. He kissed her back desperately, the paranoia about her life unwilling to leave him. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. "I'm okay. I didn't mean to upset you. I won't leave your side," she soothed. "Not willingly anyway. Sasuke, if it's one thing you and I both know it's that life is unpredictable. Life can end for any reason in the blink of an eye, and sometimes there's nothing we can do to stop it,"

"The hell we can't!" he shouted.

"Sasuke," she whispered. "There are some things we can't ever hope to control. It's one of the first things I learned to accept as a doctor. All we can do is stay strong, and rely on the people we love to help us get through it. If for some reason we had to go through that again…promise me that you will always be there for our children. Never leave them, emotionally or physically. Promise me," she pleaded.

"I promise, so long as you promise never to die," he said.

"I've given birth before," she said, understanding his reason for fear. "I have high chance that I can do it again safely. Our baby won't hurt me,"

Their baby…he thought.

The look in his eyes changed when she said that .They stared into each other's eyes, quickly getting lost within one another. For the first time since finding out, the two of them were able to savor the news.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered as if just discovering that fact.

"Hn," he said.

"We're going to have a baby," she whispered. "I wanted to be the one to tell you," she confessed. "I didn't want you find out the way you did...," she said as a small shiver of fear took over at the memory of Danzo holding her at gun point.

Sasuke felt the pangs of leaving her return tenfold. Finding out she was pregnant when he left made it worse. Sakura knew he was struggling, and was about to try to comfort him, when his hands slid from her sides to rest onto her small barely rounded belly. He leaned down closer, until he was grazing her womb, where she carried his new child.

The emotion that flooded his heart was all consuming.

Sakura's eyes watered when she saw him caress her small bump. She knew he had a tough exterior, but inside he was a father who loved his children more than anything. He kissed the small of her belly, gently grazing it with his nose as if saying hello to his unborn child.

He met her gaze and moved back up, kissing her soundly and taking her into his arms. Her back rested against his chest as his arms encircled her. His hand slid from her injured hip to rest protectively against her womb.

Sakura's eyes fluttered shut in exhaustion and happiness. She could feel his warm breath against her neck. Just before her eyes shut for the night, she heard him whisper into her ear.

"Sakura…thank you," he whispered. She felt him kiss the base of her neck and this time, she closed her eyes with a smile.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**Happy Belated Valentines all! **

**Hello beautimous and most forgiving readers. I'm so sorry about this long update period. This chapter took forever to write, simply because I kept changing things and re-writing and changing things again. I was obsessive with this chapter and a little psychotic** **over Chapter 614 in the manga. Still won't spoil anything for those of you that haven't read it (but yeah I sat in a corner and rocked myself to back and forth to remain calm. Kidding. Lol?) **

**ANYWAY- There are only TWO MORE CHAPTERS LEFT of To Love and to Love Again. The epic conclusion awaits you all next. So please please please please please…..REVIEW! I LIVE FOR REVIEWS. Do it for Sora and Suki! Do it so I won't be so preoccupied going crazy of the manga! EGGS! **


	40. Redemption

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 40: Redemption**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**Tsunade's POV:**

"Nothing is set in stone," Tsunade remarked as Kakashi stared at the document before him. "You realize that it's going to be a hell of a process to get the entire organization on board with your _proposal," _she said stressing that this was indeed a proposal and not a set goal.

"Our Agents can tell the difference between what they like and what's best," he stated as he signed the document and handed it over to her.

They sat in her newly appointed office, crossing all the T's and dotting all the I's in the transition from one leader to the next. Tsunade watched him carefully throughout the process, admiring him for his decision and cursing herself for drinking all the sake and not saving enough for the end of this.

"I agree," she said in reference to the Agent's compliance with his proposal. "But they're still human and entitled to some ruffled feathers. After all, he was their friend and greatest enemy simultaneously,"

"Which they can learn from and move on," he replied. "I have no doubts things will go as planned. He's got one hell of an advocate,"

"And if that advocate comes storming into my office one more time demanding I push through with the idea you're going to have one less blond knuckleheaded agent under your wing," she warned.

"You can't blame Naruto for his enthusiasm," Kakashi muttered while pulling out his favorite erotic novel. Some things really don't change after all. Tsunade sighed.

"You should have waited for the authorization to let him go," she said to his laidback form. He merely shrugged and flipped the page.

"It was the last decision I made as the leader. I was all the authorization I needed," he stated.

"And as the current leader I have to deal with the consequences," she snapped, slamming her hand down on the desk.

"You do support my proposal don't you?" he asked. "Because if you have a better Idea, I'm all ears,"

Tsunade huffed and sat back in her chair. Truth be told, Sasuke joining the CIA was the best possible solution for everyone. His abilities exceeded most others in the department and he had the skillset to be one of the greatest assets the CIA has ever had.

"I can see the potential, and that's why I agree with you," Tsunade began. "But _trust_ is not something easily built or achieved, given his history. Sasuke will have to prove himself in exchange for leniency for the consequences of his time in Sound. If Sakura wasn't such a central component to all of this, he might not have even gotten this option,"

"And for that I'm grateful," he said. "I owe my daughter some happiness after everything I've put her through. I also want to properly thank you for your part in shaping her future. In the absence of Rin, you've made her stronger than I ever thought her capable,"

"That I have," she agreed. "But everyone has their limits. I need to see her soon and give her a follow-up medical check. She's had enough time to settle down now. Have you spoken to her at all?" she asked. She took his silence as a no. Sakura would see reason; there was no doubt about that. But until she did, Kakashi was just going to have to live with the guilt for a while longer.

Tsunade only hoped that this new idea would help them all.

* * *

**Sasuke's POV**:

He slept in relative peace for the first time in what felt like years. Now that all immediate threats were neutralized, he could focus on getting their lives back on track. Not that the track they were on was any good to being with. You couldn't even call it 'real' when there was that much secrecy.

_But this is real, _he thought as he watched her sleeping beside him. Sakura lay on her uninjured side with her back pressed against his chest. Her even breathing and steady rise and fall of her chest mesmerized him into believing that she was okay; that nothing would harm her ever again. But that was only an illusion. She had been hurt in so many ways; he only had to look at her to know that.

He memorized every surface of her body as she slept in his arms. Each little cut, scrape, bruise, and scar would always be there to remind him of what happened. That knowledge would always linger in his mind and never let him relax.

The world they live in is dangerous and full of people willing to do anything it took for power, money, or just sheer insanity. He had been one of those people not long ago, yet he had been offered something he never thought he could have: Redemption.

_Sasuke met his stare dead on as Kakashi entered the interrogation room. He knew this would not be an ordinary conversation. Frankly, from the look of contempt on his face, it didn't appear talking was something Kakashi was planning on._

_Sasuke sensed the atmosphere of the room shift. The hum of technology died down, meaning that all recording and listening devices have been purposefully cut for this moment. The gloves have come off._

"_Sasuke," Kakashi said, as if sizing him up._

"_Kakashi," he replied._

_And that was the end of their conversation before the first fist went flying. Months of pent up frustration went into Kakashi's fist as it made contact with Sasuke's jaw. He stood his ground and merely turned his head with the impact. Kakashi's eyes narrowed, knowing that the Uchiha had let him get in a good punch._

_Sasuke wasn't above hitting him back, but knew that Kakashi was entitled to one good hit; key word being one. So when Kakashi lunged for a second attempt, Sasuke met him half way, fist for fist._

"_There was no need to humor my first assault," Kakashi stated as they struggled in defense. Sasuke merely smirked._

"_Hn," he replied. They pushed back and separated by three feet. Kakashi noted that Sasuke's face looked no worse for wear. The bastard probably wouldn't even be sporting a bruise, which he was loath to admit he was grateful for. Sakura would surely be displeased if he did._

_Just then, Kakashi had the fleeting flashback of a roughened up Sai. Never again would he go that far against someone close to Sakura. He forced himself to calm down. He wasn't here to kill the Uchiha. Not yet at least._

"_One day soon, we can have that sparing session I promised back on Christmas," Kakashi promised. "But now isn't the time. You know what fate awaits you,"_

"_I'm aware," Sasuke stated._

"_And I'm aware that you have no intention of meeting that fate," he returned. "I have every logical reason to hold you accountable for every crime against the state you've committed. They almost outweigh everything you've done to counter the Sound organization. Only one thing tips the scales and that's my daughter,"_

_Sasuke met his glare. He hadn't seen Sakura in weeks following the attack, and every hour that went by without seeing her was slowly driving him to madness. Just hearing her name did things to his psyche that made approaching him a very dangerous thing to do. If it wasn't for Sora and Suki, he would have broken out of his confinement and found her._

_Kakashi could sense the shift in his atmosphere at the mere mention of Sakura's name. Sasuke was a man possessed by his daughter, and it scared the hell out of him. Nothing would stop him from being with her, which frightened him more than anything else. Truth be told, there was little anyone in the CIA could do to separate them short of killing him, and they knew Sasuke would never let that happen. It was a truth Kakashi had to accept, which was why he saw no other option but to lay one final card on the table._

"_She's my daughter," he declared. "I don't need to specify just what that means to you. You know what I mean so maybe you can understand why it goes against every fiber of my being to let you have her,"_

_Sasuke understood of course. The mere thought of Suki even being looked at by a boy automatically put him on Sasuke's mental hit list. Sakura was the same for Kakashi, only Sasuke's possessive need trumped Kakashi's love._

"_Sakura chose you," Kakashi stated. "She made her choice, and she picked you. Her life and her happiness are in your hands now; my Grandson as well. I let you live only for them. Screw that up, and I will come after you,"_

_Sasuke didn't reply to that threat, but his agreement was there for Kakashi to see. Sasuke would protect her. He would keep her safe and well, and though he wouldn't admit it out loud to anyone, his love for Sakura was evident._

"_I give my daughter to you, on one condition," Kakashi began. "You will join our organization, as a sworn Agent of the CIA. You will be tested on every level we have to offer, both physical and psychological. You will comply with all orders and work as a team with any assigned team mates. We work together here. I expect you can too,"_

_Sasuke understood what that offer must have cost for Kakashi. He knew there was little to no trust among the rest of the agency. There were bound to be protests and those that would rather see him dead. But what Kakashi was offering him wasn't only the chance to live. It was a chance to finally set things right._

"_Do you accept my terms, Uchiha Sasuke?" Kakashi demanded. Sasuke met his stare dead on._

"_With one condition of my own," he replied. From then on, the deal was set._

He had four reasons to accept his offer; two of them were asleep upstairs, and the other two were safe in his arms. Sakura's pregnancy had given him anxiety on an entirely different level. He came close to losing her from things that up until now, he could believe he had some control over.

But he had no control over _this_.

The fear of losing her to childbirth had permeated every nerve in his body. When she asked him to make certain promises should she not make it, Sasuke nearly lost it. He will not see another child of his live without their mother. Suki was his entire world until Sora had joined her. His daughter _and _son would never suffer that pain; not if he had anything to say about it. He refused to promise her anything of the sort. He needed her to live.

Another life was on the way. Sasuke's hand hadn't left her abdomen since she had drifted off. He couldn't stop himself from trying, even now, to protect the child she carried. Boy or girl, this baby was going to be born with danger hovering over its head. The need to protect was fierce.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even realize his grip on her had tightened to the point where she had to wake up to push against him.

"mmm… what's wrong?" she asked, sleepily.

"Nothing, go back to bed," he said as smoothed his hands over her. He kissed her neck, then her cheek before she tiled her head to meet his lips. He couldn't resist kissing her with desperation that she was able to sense instantly.

She turned onto her back before asking what was wrong again. He responded by kissing her again, slowly at first and gradually gaining momentum until questions were the last thing she could think of. She allowed herself to be absorbed into his distraction before pulling his face away from hers and giving him a look.

He sighed before saying "It can wait until morning,"

She turned her head and saw the clock indicating that it was 4:00 AM. "It _is_ morning" she said, smiling. When she saw his reluctance to share his thoughts, Sakura knew it must have been a heavy matter. "Sasuke tell me what's bothering you. I can't handle anymore secrets, please,"

He looked into her eyes and knew that it was now or never. "I didn't escape the CIA as you had previously thought," he began. Her eyes widened as she realized she had forgotten that bit of info.

"Oh," she replied. "We never finished talking. Tell me how you're able to be here with me,"

"It's not a permanent situation," he warned. "I have to go back soon,"

Her face showed her displeasure. "How soon?"

"In the morning," he answered.

"What? Why?" she asked, struggling to sit up. Sasuke wouldn't let her move away from him and only rolled onto his back, taking her along and settling her against him, careful of her injuries.

"Let me explain," he said. "The only reason I'm even here is because I needed to see you. I needed you to know what was going to happen before I went back,"

"Then tell me," she pleaded. He saw the fear in her eyes and hated that he would only add to that.

He still wasn't prepared on how to handle the matter. Not only that, he wasn't sure exactly how much she knew about his past. He was informed that she now knew "everything". But with the CIA's need-to-know basis for sensitive matters, the term "everything" didn't carry much weight.

"How much do you know about my involvement with Sound?" he asked. She gave him a speculative look before shaking her head in confusion.

"I know only as much as they told me," she said referring to her father and Tsunade. "I know what you used to be. I know what you're capable of. The only thing I don't know, that I was too afraid to ask, was how you became that way and why?"

"And I don't think there will ever be a way to tell you that makes sense," he admitted. "None of it makes sense, even from where I'm standing. How can I tell you something like that an expect you to understand?"

"There isn't anything you can tell me that will make it easier to hear," she said. "I know what I'm asking for. But I need to know what drew you to that kind of darkness. Because whatever it was, I know that you were strong enough to overcome it. Whatever it was, it couldn't make me love you any less," she said as she caressed his cheek.

Sasuke could only stare as she had given him the forgiveness he didn't dare ask for. She knew, even before he did, that he wouldn't be able to face her without it. Such unfiltered love for him could only come from her. No matter what he did, or how far into the darkness he went, he knew that she would always be there to bring him back to life.

"I didn't have _you_," he began. Her eyes showed her confusion at that statement. "My life was set up to fall into a trap. My family was virtually non-existent with work or the demands of high society. My brother was the golden boy who was expected to carry on the Uchiha legacy and follow into that world. I felt like an unnecessary human who could never measure up to him. It's no excuse for anything, but my life was about proving to anyone what I was capable of; that I could be better and stronger. I don't know where the hunger for power came from, but what I didn't know what our family had a secret. That revelation was what changed it all,"

"Your Sharingan," she whispered. He nodded.

"You're not the only one who grew up with secrets surrounding you," he said. "Thinking back, the Sharingan was probably the reason there was so much tension between Itachi and our father. I was never aware of such a thing, until I was approached by Orochimaru. He wanted that ability and knew Itachi was beyond his reach. He came at just the right time, and I fell under his influence. I felt betrayed by my own family for not being included on that secret and I trained with Orochimaru's guidance until I unleashed the Sharingan on my own. But it didn't end there. Orochimaru intended to use me to build his organization. He saw that the need for power had consumed me, and before I knew it I was a full-fledged assassin for the Sound Organization. My purpose for joining him, whatever it may have been, was lost among this new identity. I had the power and my family was unaware of it until recently. I think if they had their way, I never would have known about the Sharingan,"

"Sasuke," she whispered. She was completely blown away at how much he had confessed. To admit this to her was hard, she could see that. "How did you break away?"

"I knew that his ultimate goal was to obtain my Sharingan and take over my body. I was never going to let him, and I had no need for his power any longer. I realized what I had become, and I had to end his reign before more people fell to his twisted ways. I killed him and anyone else associated with Sound. It was the last time I killed for power. It would never make up any of my crimes, but at least it was over. A powerful sense of clarity overcame me, and with it, an intense need to start all over and be nothing like my former self. I had to be right and do something that would make me feel like I was making amends. That's why I took my father's position at the hospital and worked every minute I could to make it the best in the country. I did everything they asked, including marrying whom they wanted. My life had become a straight line and I was fine with that," he said.

"I was a monster hiding under the guise of an ordinary man," he continued. "Not a day went by where I didn't question why I joined Sound or what my purpose for doing so was. In the end I accomplished nothing but the death of hundreds. My family didn't change…until Suki was born. She brought us together in a way I never thought possible. She was my reason for living. I felt as though I had finally done something good. But in no time at all, I realized that I wasn't enough for her. Her mother was gone, and I didn't know how to give her what she needed. My childhood was full of tension and disillusioned bonds. I didn't want that for Suki. I didn't know how to give her the love she deserved. I didn't know what it was to love anything until _you_,"

He wiped the tears that had streamed down her cheeks. Sakura's heart had melted at his confession. She had so much more in common with him than imaginable, but at least she had people that loved her. Sasuke was alone, and endured so much just to find something close to that.

"You know what love is," she whispered. "I can see it in your eyes. I see the love you have for your family and friends. I see your love for our children and me. You don't have to prove anything to any of us,"

"But I do need to prove something to myself," he stated. "I need to make amends for all the wrong I had ever done. Your father has given me that opportunity,"

"What opportunity?" she asked. He suddenly felt as if words were stuck in his throat. Her reaction to what he might say made him more nervous than he cared to admit. "Sasuke…tell me," she demanded when she sensed his hesitancy. He didn't want to upset her, but his fear for his family's safety trumped apprehension.

He pulled away from her and sat on the edge of the bed, staring her down. "I have to answer for my time in Sound. But I don't need a trial to know that the consequence for my actions is death," he said. She gasped and got up as well. Her heart felt like it had been dowsed with ice water. "That was the only option I could see…but your father placed another card of the table,"

"…what card?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I either die by the CIA…or I join them. Those are my options," he said. She sat there stunned at what he was telling her. "This way I-"

"No!" she shouted. "Those can't be your only options,"

"They are," he stated.

"You don't have a choice,"

"It's more choice than I imagined I'd have," he said. "Listen to me there is no other way-,"

"I can't accept that," she cried. "I don't want you to be a part of that. I can't have you doing dangerous missions and risking your life every time you go out there. I can't lose you!"

"You won't lose me," he soothed. "I'm needed there,"

"You're needed here," she countered.

"We can't go back to how life used to be. Sakura there were so many lies it's almost impossible to call that a foundation," he said.

"So now that everything is out in the air, I have to accept that you're going to be a CIA Agent?"

"You have to accept that this is our reality now," he stated. "This was the reality your father was trying to protect you from. I can't sit back when I have the ability to stop whatever evil is out there. None of them can," he said referring to their friends.

Sakura attributed her lack of reasoning to her hormones, even though she knew it was just residual anger from her current state of affairs. She did not want to see reason, but when he was force feeding her the blatant actuality of their lives, there wasn't anything she could do but swallow it whole. This was what she had been asking for wasn't it? The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Well their truth sucked and there was still one major question she had.

"I can't," she whispered. "I can't accept it just yet. What Sora and Suki had to endure at his hands…and afterwards. I couldn't see what made them stable. I wasn't there for it. Tell me what you had to do to save them"

Sasuke didn't know how he was going to explain that one. He had to dig farther into the properties of the Sharingan in order for her to understand. But she looked like she would crumble at any second and he didn't want to overload her with the details.

"Don't leave anything out," she said as if reading his train of thought again. "If there is one thing that will help me accept all of this, it's what the CIA did to save Sora and Suki. What they endured…no child should ever have to witness such horrors,"

He saw the need to understand in her eyes. Sora and Suki were fine now, and Sasuke had no doubt that they would continue to be fine. But Sakura wasn't expecting to have them back that way, and she knew that there was still a piece missing in her information.

"When you first got them back, they didn't seem as damaged as you thought," he stated. He was telling her, rather than asking her because he knew that's how they were. She nodded her head. "You were expecting them to be afraid,"

She nodded her head once more before saying "It didn't make sense. The trauma they suffered couldn't have disappeared so fast,"

"That's because to them, they haven't experienced it," he stated. Her confusion was apparent, but she remained silent, knowing he wasn't done. "In order to combat any physical change or psychological damage, we had to manipulate their mental state. The Sharingan was used as hypnosis to train them to withstand the changes they faced. But even so, there was no escaping the things they had seen. Suki was easier to handle, because she was unconscious most of the time. We were able to suppress some of what she did see and keep it suppressed until her own Sharingan was able to process it in a way she could handle,"

Sakura kept silent, absorbing the seemingly impossible process he was telling her. "Sora was more difficult," he continued. "Unlike Suki, he had seen and endured much more. He's too young to understand let alone process any of it. I had to train him to control the curse and the Sharingan simultaneously. It wasn't easy…and he came close to losing his grip on reality several times. His memory is extraordinary and most likely photographic but that's yet to be diagnosed. But because of that, it's nearly impossible for him to forget. The only way he was going to cope was to shut down his emotions…and just absorb it all. His Sharingan needed time to mature, so he was placed under a type of hypnosis until he could control it under my guidance….,"

He stopped, remembering the difficulty of training Sora in his own mind. The child was beyond gifted in Sasuke's opinion; something that he knew could be attributed to his genetics.

When Sora was told to shut down his emotions…he made it seem easy. Kakashi, who was present for the entire rehabilitation process, gave off a visible shiver at how much Sora resembled his father Sai at that moment.

"My baby…," she whispered. Sasuke snapped out of his trance to find her eyes closed with tears streaming down her cheeks. "My baby," she cried. She couldn't handle it. She couldn't imagine the life altering trauma that Sora and Suki had suffered because of sheer evil. It didn't seem possible when they were upstairs and sleeping peacefully as if they never went through any of that.

The CIA had given them their innocence back. For that, she can forgive them. "I should forgive them," she choked. "I have to. I kept thinking I never would have done what my father did to me…but…now…,"

"You would have done the same thing," he supplied. He knew she still had some burning bridges with her father to douse. "You say you wouldn't have lied, but you know that protecting Sora and Suki would have made you do just that"

She closed her eyes, unable to get a grip on herself. Sasuke pulled her back against his chest and spoke into her ear.

"I understand what he was trying to do," he continued. "A father's love for his daughter is beyond comprehension. He'll do anything to protect her…even risk losing her love and trust. So long as she's safe, he'll be able to live. I had that with Suki. Your father had seen too much and lost too much to leave anything to chance. What he did for you was necessary, not only for you but for him as well. He was there for every step of their recovery"

Sakura shook her head, trying to stop more tears from falling. She wanted nothing more than to erase every bad thing that had happened to her since finding out so many truths. But she had to accept that the CIA and the dark world that came with it are a part of her now.

Sora and Suki had suffered immensely from the dangers that lurk just beyond an ordinary man's reach. How many more children would suffer the same fate if no one stopped it? The world needed people with the strength to overcome that.

"I hate this," she whispered. Sasuke simply held on as if he would never let go.

"I know," he said. "But remember this; your father didn't give me this choice for me. He did it for _you_,"

She choked back a sob and held onto him tight.

"Believe in me," he said as he rolled her underneath his embrace. She shook her head, unwilling to agree to anything he asked as of yet. She wasn't ready.

"Trust me," he whispered as he planted kisses along her face. She closed her eyes and sighed with each touch of his lips on her face. His hands captured her face and waited until she looked at him. The emerald eyes that continued to captivate him infused his being with a love and possessiveness even he couldn't control.

"_Marry me_," he ordered intensely. "Because I'm never letting you go again. You belong to me and no one will live to say otherwise,"

He didn't wait for her reply as his mouth crashed against hers with a ferocity that rendered her breathless. All her current fears fled as her eyes widened with his pledge, making her feel as if her very soul threatened to escape her body. Sasuke Uchiha had demanded her love to be his forever, when he already had it and was never going be able to get rid of it.

He kissed her senseless until the need for air emerged. She placed her hands on his face and stared into his beautiful black orbs. "I love you," she breathed.

"Say you'll marry me," he demanded. His need for her was getting out of his control. He needed her to say the words.

"Ask me to marry you," she said as she grabbed onto his midnight locks and held tight. Even after all this time, he was still incapable of asking. His dark chuckle made her shiver as his hands moved in opposite directions to grasp her own hair and one of her hips. He squeezed the flesh of her thigh before wrapping it around his waist and pushing against her, making her gasp when she felt his need for her.

"You're still annoying as ever…but I won't let you say no," he growled.

"And I won't say _anything_ until you ask me," she said, using her leg to pull him closer to her and drive him crazy. She could mess with him just as well as he can. "Ask me and I'm yours," she whispered.

He kissed her then, intent on not giving in when she already belonged to him. Both were determined to outlast the other. She kissed him back just as thoroughly and before they knew it, he was inside her and completely consumed with her.

He didn't tear his gaze away as he made love to her. Everything from her silken hair, cloudy eyes, heated skin and breathless moans mesmerized him. She was his world and he would kill anyone that tried to take her away from him again.

Sakura trembled at the way he looked at her. It was a look that captured her. He was every kind of strength there was rolled into one incredible man. He was the hero…and now he would be an Avenger. He will be a part of the team that will protect the world from evil. Nothing stood a chance against him, not even her and she knew it.

He captured her scream in his kiss as they both found release together. Several minutes passed while they stayed in each other's arms, breaths mingling together as their heated sweat-glistened skin rubbed against one another.

It was the most content he had been in the longest time, but he still needed her to say it. For that, he would concede. "…Will you marry me?" he asked before the tears fell once again.

"Yes," she whispered. "I'll marry you. I love you Sasuke,"

"I love you," he professed. "My Sakura,"

* * *

An hour later, they decided to wake the children.

Sora and Suki were both still asleep. In the days that followed their abduction, rescue and rehabilitation, sleep was a precious and much needed commodity for their mind and body. Sasuke and Sakura sat on the edge of the bed, watching their babies rest.

They had gotten dressed and ready to go back to the CIA and face what awaited them there. Sakura was determined to address everything that had been building since the event. The children, under one of the many conditions ordered by the organization, had to come back as well to continue their training and rehab under the watchful eye of Sasuke, Kakashi, and Itachi. They were the only tree men capable of training the children in the use of the Sharingan.

Sasuke stared at them with wonder. You wouldn't think that such traumatic events had happen to them, based on how peaceful they looked in their bed. Never again would he allow such danger to come close to them. He was possessed with the need to protect them, and he would die before anything like this happened again. Sakura reached out and gently smoothed out Suki's hair.

"Every time you train them…do they re-live it?" Sakura asked. Sasuke nodded.

"We can't erase what happened," he replied. "We can only help them process it slowly, so it doesn't overwhelm them. They're too young to take it all at once,"

Sakura looked at them and didn't want to wake them. Knowing that they would have to face the nightmare over and over again was agonizing. At least in their sleep they could be as carefree as kids should be. But their training was important.

Sasuke watched as she hovered over them, placing soft kisses on their cheeks and gently coaxed them awake. Both children grumbled their displeasure for a moment, as neither was inclined to awaken from their dreams.

"Wake up you two," Sakura sang. "Someone's here to see you,"

More groans ensued before Sasuke decided to up the anty and began to tickle their feet from under the blanket. Sora and Suki began to squirm and squeal with laughter before finally opening their eyes and zeroing in on Sasuke. Both stared at him in surprise before understanding kicked in.

"Daddy!" they both screamed simultaneously before lunging at him and nearly knocking him over in their enthusiasm. Sasuke relished the moment, holding his two kids close as they both talked simultaneously firing question and comment light lightning.

"Daddy you're home!" Suki shouted.

"You're back!" Sora yelled.

"I missed you," they said in perfect synch before laughing. Both appeared to be determined to climb all over him and cling for dear life.

Sasuke hoisted them out of bed and dangled them in his arms as they laughed and tried to hang on like monkeys. Sakura wiped the tears from her eyes at the sight of them so happy. Even though they weren't quite done healing, having Sasuke home made them feel like a family again. He knelt before her, one kid still trapped in each arm.

When the kids noticed her tears, the excitement died down.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" Sora asked. "Dads home," he added. Sakura had no idea when Sora began referring to Sasuke as "Dad", but found that it just fit. More tears ensued.

"Mommy, don't cry," Suki pleaded. Sakura wiped the tears away and placed her hand on their cheeks.

"I'm just happy that's all," she said.

"Be happier," Sora pleaded. Sasuke took a keen interest in the children's reactions to her tears. It was obvious neither one enjoyed seeing her cry, making him wonder how often she shed a tear while he was away. The kids obviously picked up on it.

He stood up with the children and sat next to her. Suki immediately crawled into Sakura's embrace. "Mommy don't cry. It's not good for you," she pleaded with tears in her own little eyes. She was too young to understand tears of joy. Sakura wiped her eyes and smiled as best she could. There was no time for tears now that Sasuke was home. She kissed Suki's cheek and held her close.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. I'll stop now," she soothed. Suki's comment made Sasuke look at her questioningly.

"Do they know?" he asked. Sakura understood what he was asking and shook her head. The children didn't know that they would soon be welcoming a little brother or sister.

"Know what?" Sora and Suki asked simultaneously. Sasuke looked to Sakura, trying to get a sense of why she didn't tell them, but decided to wait until later. He looked down at Suki.

"Why can't Mommy cry?" he asked.

"Because she always cried when you were gone," Suki answered. "But you're here now, so she's supposed to stop,"

Sakura wanted kicked her own ass for crying so much. She thought she had hidden it well from the children, but that obviously wasn't the case. She hugged Suki close and smiled. "I'm happy. Really I am. I promise not to cry anymore,"

Sora tugged on Sasuke's sleeve with a determined look on his face. "Promise you won't leave anymore," he demanded. "Because Mommy and Suki always cry and I don't know how to make them stop," he admitted. Sasuke raised a brow and smirked. He would need to take Sora aside for a man-to-man conversation soon regarding his mother. He would let Sakura tell him about his new sibling though.

"I won't go anywhere anymore," he promised. Sora looked him square in the eye and held his gaze. He promptly nodded and accepted his word. Not many adults could look Sasuke in the eye that way. His son was exceptional.

He wanted nothing more than to stay at home and just be normal for a little while longer, but there were more pressing matters to attend to. Sakura caught his gaze.

"We're going to back to the CIA," Sakura announced. "Grandpa is waiting there for you both," she said to the children.

"How come?" Suki asked.

"Because you have to finish your training," Sasuke answered.

"How come?" she repeated.

"Because you have a new gift that you need to control," Sakura answered.

"How come?" Suki persisted.

"Because I'm going to eat you," Sakura said, forging an actual answer and opted to tickle her sides, sending Suki into a fit of giggles. "Both of you," she said reaching for Sora and poking his sides. Soon the room was filled with happiness again. Sora and Suki tagged teamed against her and knocked her back against the mattress, making Sasuke panic and yank them off her and hoist them over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes before they aggravated her injures.

Sakura resisted rolling her eyes once again. She may be on bed rest, but that didn't completely disable her. The children continued to laugh and play as they got dressed for the event. You'd think they were going to the playground by how happy they were.

The car ride back to the CIA's hidden base wasn't nearly as somber as the day they were released. Sora and Suki talked animatedly the entire time, smiling and laughing and trying to update Sasuke on the latest happenings at home. It was odd, considering that they had spent time with him during their recovery. But as soon as they approached base, the excitement dwindled, and the sobriety began. When they approached the CIA base, Sakura hesitated at the entrance. Sasuke held her gaze.

"Everything will be okay," he promised. "Trust me,"

"I do," she whispered. Sora and Suki seemed to sense her discomfort and each held onto one of her hands. She looked down at them and smiled. "Let's go," she said as they entered the agency.

They walked down a hall that was dimly lit with blue lowlights. They approached a large clear gateway guarded by two men who watched them approach. No words were spoken as they guided them to an access gate that required both a finger print and retinal scan to enter.

Sakura was curious as to how they had gotten a retinal scan off of her and had a sneaking suspicion they did it when she was brought in after the incident. Once all four of them were granted access, they were guided into the main lobby of the CIA, where they were greeted by Shizune.

"Welcome back Sakura," she greeted. "Tsunade sama wishes to see right away," she said before turning to Sasuke and saying "They're ready for you,"

He nodded. Almost on cue, they were surrounded by four ANBU Agents. Sasuke and the children were to head for the training area under armed guard? What was there to worry about now? There wasn't any threat remaining, especially within the agency…unless Sasuke himself was threat enough. She looked at him questioningly.

He nodded and looked down at the kids. "It's time for training. Say bye to Mommy for a little while,"

Both children nodded. Sakura leaned down and brought them both into her arms and squeezed.

"I'll be waiting right here for you when you're done," she said kissing their cheeks. "I love you both,"

"We love you too Mommy," they said in perfect unison. Sakura didn't think she was ever going to get used to that. They each kissed her cheek and detangled themselves from her before following their father into the training area. Sasuke gave her a meaningful look before disappearing around the corner with them.

"I'll take you to Tsunade," Shizune offered. Sakura shook her head.

"Later. There's something I have to do first," she stated.

* * *

**CIA training center:**

The guys had just returned from a mission and hit the training center to unwind a bit. Regular assignments had resumed after the investigation of the Sound organization was officially deemed closed.

"YOSH! Let the power of youth flow through you as we run in place!" Lee shouted. He has going full speed on a treadmill shouting at Shikamaru, who was on the treadmill next to him, to match pace. He was duly ignored. Kiba sipped on his drink and threw a questioning glance at Naruto, who was sitting next to the weights and oddly spaced out. "What's with him?"

Shikamaru, who was forced onto the treadmill after getting caught smoking by Ino, glanced over at him and shrugged. "Don't know, but I suggest you take in the silence before we never experience it again,"

"Oi, Naruto," Chouji called before tossing a sweaty towel at him. Naruto let the material hit him square in the face. He was _that_ out of it.

"Ah forget him," Kiba muttered. "He's probably still sulking about not being able to talk to Sasuke or Sakura,"

"You are aware that both of them have been on the premises for over an hour, aren't you?" Shikamaru asked. Word had spread fast that Sasuke had returned from his release with Sakura and the children in tow. A wave of apprehension washed over them at the knowledge that he had left. They were still processing Sasuke's true capabilities. When Naruto didn't turn around at that bit of info, he concluded that it wasn't the initial cause. He still used it as an excuse to get off the treadmill.

"I don't think that's it guys," Chouji remarked tossing Shikamaru and towel. "Earlier I was at Ichiraku's for ramen and Naruto just happened to walk by,"

"So what?" Kiba remarked. "He practically lives there"

"But this time…he just kept walking," Chouji ended. "Didn't even look my way or acknowledge the Ramen," he added. Everyone turned to look at him then. That was a monumental thing for Naruto to do, considering half of his life's blood was dependent upon Ramen, or so it seemed based on his constant consumption of it.

"Maybe he finally got sick of it," Kiba snickered. "Or became allergic,"

Neji entered the room at that point. The Hyuga's eyes zeroed in on Naruto and glared for a millisecond before relaxing. No one could tell the difference between the two looks. "Hinata is looking for you," he said to the blond.

"HINATA?! Where? When did she ask for me? Why the hell didn't you call me sooner!" shouted Naruto before gunning it out of the room, leaving the rest of the guys at a loss to his behavior.

"I guess its marital problems then," Kiba assumed.

"What's the status on Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked Neji, who still seemed to be glaring at the spot Naruto had previously occupied.

"Training," he answered. "Tsunade has summoned us to her office to discuss the matter. We meet in ten minutes," he said.

"What's wrong with Naruto?" Chouji asked. He could have sworn Neji's eye twitched at the mere mention of his name.

"Nothing in particular," he answered. Tenten walked into the training area then, carrying about six different guns. She paused when she saw them.

"Did you tell them about the meeting?" She asked Neji. He nodded, eying her arsenal.

"It starts in a few minutes. You're going to have to do your target practice later," he responded.

"I just want to get through three loads before the kids wake up from their nap" she said before turning to the guys. "Have any of you seen Naruto? Hinata was looking for him,"

"He just ran out to find her," Kiba answered. "Is something going on? Whatever it is it's making Neji bust a vein" Tenten looked at her husband and shook her head.

"Are you still upset about that?" she asked. "They're married," she stated.

"What the hell is going on?" Kiba asked.

"This isn't the place for that," Tenten answered. "You guys should clean up before the meeting. In case you haven't heard, Sakura's back and maybe this time she'll talk to us,"

They left the matter alone and did as she suggested. There was time enough to figure out what was going on with Naruto anyway.

* * *

**Sakura's POV:**

Sakura took a good look around her father's real office. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was expecting it to look like something out a spy novel with gadgets and gizmos propped on the walls. It was modern and sleek, with only a few interesting looking devices on his desk. His walls were otherwise normal, save for some pictures that were propped up.

She held the photo of her five-year-old self in her father's arms. She was told to go and see Tsunade, but she wanted to speak to her father first. Her back was turned when the door opened.

Kakashi walked into his office and stopped dead in his tracks. Sakura turned to face him, her expression giving nothing away.

"Sakura," he called, surprise evident in his voice.

"Daddy," she greeted.

"How are you?" he asked. "Have you seen Tsunade yet?" She shook her head.

"It's time we talked," she replied. "I heard you stepped down as leader,"

He nodded. "I never should have been the leader in the first place. The price was too high. I should have realized that sooner," he said as he looked intently at her.

"He told me everything," she whispered, referring to Sasuke. He only nodded.

"As he should," he responded, assessing her carefully.

"Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?" she asked.

"More than you know," he answered. "I'll tell you everything that you've been entitled to know since the very beginning,"

She looked at him carefully. She had a hunch about this and took a chance. "Is it possible that all children of CIA agents know about their parents careers? Was it possible that I could have known, and you just chose not to tell me?"

If he didn't have such excellent control of his emotions, Kakashi would have flinched. Sakura always was one for hitting the nail directly over the head. "The majority are informed around the age of twelve, when they're old enough to process the importance of the information. This goes for all standard personnel in the department. Our covert units are more selective and go by a ranking system. The more clandestine the unit, the more secretive they are in order to spare their families as leverage and endangering them,"

She waited until he finished his answer, knowing that he knew what she wanted to hear. "As a commanding leader though, I could have told you," he finished.

"And I understand why you didn't," she said, surprising him. "I understand now. My safety over my pride was an easy choice. Raising a child alone is already hard enough. You gave me as normal a childhood as you possibly could. The value of which is priceless," she whispered. "Sora and Suki will never have the kind of life I did. The innocence of youth isn't whole anymore and it's all my fault,"

"That's not-"

"Yes it is," she said harshly. "If I wasn't so angry at you for keeping me in the dark, I would have accepted whatever direction you gave me to keep my children safe. I would have listened to you because you knew better than me in this situation. But I couldn't handle my own pride and my children paid dearly for it,"

"Sora and Suki are strong and their childhood is not lost," he reassured. "It's true that they'll forever be involved in the CIA from now on. Whether they join the other Agents in the future is entirely up to them when they're of age, but once they learn to control their abilities they'll be fine," he said walking until he stood before her. "I know you hate what they went through, but those two kids are being trained by the best this organization has to offer. Your children are not weak, and neither are you,"

Sakura shook her head, cursing her hormones for giving her an endless supply of tears to shed. She was so sick of crying. Kakashi still couldn't stand the sight of her tears. She was a grown woman yet every tear made her look all the more like the precious child she once was; the child that had endured life without much help from others and became one of the most intelligent and capable individuals the world could ask for.

He placed his hand on her cheek and made her look at him. "You are much stronger than you know. You're stronger than I ever wanted to admit. It was me who was too weak to let the world put you to the test. Sora and Suki already overcame the hardest obstacles life could through at them, and I know you'll have the strength to raise them as life serves them more. And this time, I'll be there with you,"

Sakura launched herself into her father's arms and cried. Years of secrecy, hurt and resentment left her body with every sob. Forgiveness was divine for a reason. Sasuke had taught her that resentment only lead to more hurt. Nothing on this earth would ever take her love for her father away.

"I love you Daddy," she whispered.

"I love you too, Sakura," he said. "I will always love you,"

"I'm sorry I took my anger out on you," she sobbed.

"You had every right," he soothed. "What's done is done now. From now on we don't hold anything important back from each other. Does that sound like we're going in the right direction?"

She sniffled and nodded. "I'm sorry," she said as she dabbed at her eyes. "I cry more easily than I care for nowadays. I hate it,"

He looked at her appraisingly before asking "Was there anything else _you _wanted to tell me?"

He waited for a good two minutes as she tried to compose herself. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and accepted the tissue he pulled out of nowhere and blew her nose. All the while she was processing her father's tone as he asked her that question. It was almost…knowing.

"Sasuke… asked…," she somehow found it difficult to get the words out as her father continued to give her that knowing lazy stare.

"He asked for what?" Kakashi said, feigning innocence.

"He asked me to marry him. But you already knew that, didn't you?" she asked.

"I didn't expect anything less from him," he answered back. "It was one the conditions we set,"

"What?"

"One of _his_ conditions," he clarified. "He wouldn't accept my offer to join the CIA unless I gave him my blessing to marry you,"

He would have said demand, but even that word wasn't right to describe Sasuke's intention. Sasuke didn't ask or demand anything from anyone. He claimed what was his, and though it still burned a hole in Kakashi's gut, Sasuke had claimed his daughter. But anyone with eyes could see that that was unnecessary. Sakura had given her heart to him, and he didn't even have to ask.

Kakashi was going to have a tough time with an Uchiha for a son-in-law.

Sakura looked at her father in surprise. That was a bit of info that Sasuke didn't mention. To make matters heavier…"I'm also…," she couldn't seem to get her sentences straight at the moment. An odd sense of déjà vu consumed her. "I'm having a baby," she said.

Kakashi closed his eyes and mentally shook his head. He knew of course. He was beyond delighted at the thought of another grandchild. He tried real hard not to dwell on the fact that Sasuke had gotten his daughter pregnant. He tried _real_ hard. He lasted all of three seconds before wishing that he had gotten in a few more punches with the bastard before releasing him.

"I know," he said. "Where are the other two?"

"In training with Sasuke and Itachi," she answered. "They say I'm not authorized to watch…but..,"

"I'll take you," he offered. "But you have to promise to observe only,"

She gave her immediate agreement and was escorted to the training room.

* * *

She didn't know what to expect when it came to the children's training, but she certainly wasn't anticipating finding out. Her father had left her to go to a meeting he had to attend, which was just fine with her. She needed to do this herself.

Sakura observed the process through a two-way mirror. Suki had already finished her training with Itachi and was currently asleep to recuperate from the process. Sasuke and Sora sat on the ground at arm's length of each other with their eyes open and staring dead on at each other. No one was moving. As a matter of fact, it didn't even look like they were breathing. She had no idea what was running through their brains, but every time she through about what Sora and Suki had been through, she wanted to hold them close and keep the bad memories away.

Her son looked so deathly still it was unnerving. The two red Sharingan eyes he was sporting added to the affect.

"The process occurs in their minds," Mikoto said from behind her. Sakura didn't flinch, but she was certainly surprised at her presence. Mikoto moved to stand next to Sakura, watching the process as well.

"So I've been told," Sakura replied. Of all the people she had to encounter, Sasuke's mother was probably last on her list. "So you're an Agent as well?"

Mikoto chuckled. "Hardly," she replied. Sakura turned to look at her then. Mikoto looked like her usual calm self. Dressed in a dark blue blazer and skirt, she looked like a normal person, but for her to be here meant otherwise.

"Then why are you here?" Sakura asked.

"The same reason you are," Mikoto replied as she continued to observe the session. "You're not the only one with a child in there you know," she said as she watched. "Sasuke is my son, as Sora is yours. My child has also suffered immensely from all this madness,"

"Yes, he did," she replied. "Why did this have to happen to them?" she whispered.

"That's not a question we should bother asking," Mikoto answered. "Rather, once you know how everything began, you can understand how it was inevitable,"

"What do you mean how it all began?" she asked. "You mean the Sound Operation?"

"No. I mean this organization. The CIA," Mikoto answered, not taking her eyes off the training room. "Law enforcement has come in many forms in the past. Believe me Sakura, it's not something we could have ever hoped to control. The CIA we know today had very different origins when it all began back in the feudal era. In the times of warring nations and utter chaos, it was the time of exceptional warriors and hidden villages scattered in the lands of fire, water, earth, sand and so much more. In those times, we didn't have _Agents_," she said looking at her now.

"We had _Shinobi,_" she continued. "It was the age of Ninja, and every Agent you see here today is a direct descendant of a powerful Shinobi bloodline. That includes you and your son,"

Sakura was stunned at that bit of information. She never stopped to consider the historical aspect of the CIA, but the knowledge was overwhelming. "Everyone here?" she asked.

"All of your friends can trace their lineage back to those times. Law enforcement has come in many forms and constantly evolved to meet the times. The samurai were in the spotlight, but the Shinobi lived in the shadows. The agency that was built on secrets and shunning attachment to other people has ironically strong family bonds. Those bonds are what keep the organization running, but sometimes a parent can't help but want something different for their child," she said.

"I can understand why," Sakura responded.

"Certainly," she agreed. "What you and those children have been through was every Agent's worst nightmare for their children. It's what your father worked so hard to prevent from happening,"

"Forgive me Mikoto, but if you're not an Agent, how is it that you're aware of what's been going on in the CIA?" she asked. "From what I was told, which doesn't carry much weight, you and your husband were left out of the organization,"

"And we let the organization think that, until recent events forced us to reveal otherwise," Mikoto stated. "Like I said Sakura, the bonds our ancestors formed as Shinobi were passed down for generations. It's impossible not to know what's happening to your own family, let alone your children. A mother always knows. I assume you've forgiven your father?" she asked. Sakura nodded. "How wonderful. Perhaps in time, my son can forgive me as well,"

Sakura looked at her questioningly. "What would he possibly need to forgive you for?'" she asked not caring if that was being too nosy. Mikoto simply looked back through the glass at Sasuke.

"I was so focused on keeping my eldest son safe in the organization, that my youngest went through all he did alone," Mikoto answered. "All those years, he thought he had to keep that secret to himself. But I knew. I would have done anything to protect my son," she said. "Even help him escape from the law,"

Sakura turned to her so abruptly that she almost stumbled. Her mouth was agape. Somehow, she knew exactly what Mikoto was referring to. "It was you," she said stunned. "You were the one that helped him leave the hospital when he was that wounded."

"Yes, and no," she replied. "I only have him the heads up," she said, recalling the night she had purposefully left the note in Sasuke's room. It had nearly killed her to leave him there, knowing that the CIA had finally figured out his mistake, but she had to play dumb and hope that he would make it out alive.

Sakura continued to stare at her in shock. She had always wondered how Sasuke was able to get out of the hospital that night. Now it made sense. Mikoto smiled at her shocked expression.

"I don't regret my decision Sakura," she stated. "I did what I had to in order to protect my son. The Uchiha clan is a proud and powerful bloodline to behold. Your son now bears the burden of our clan's abilities and for that, I'm so sorry. The only comfort I can offer you is that he is strong enough to overcome it and both my sons will guide him through it," she said before assessing Sakura from the corner of her eyes. "And a baby born with Uchiha blood will be strong indeed. It takes quite a woman to give birth to such a child. I have no doubt you will bring my new Grandchild into this world with the best possible start. My son deserves his happiness, and that happiness is you,"

Sakura was at a loss for words. Mikoto's actions surely had to have consequences, but the way she was talking made Sakura wonder if anyone other than herself was aware of her role in all this. As if reading her thoughts, Mikoto added. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else about my actions, Sasuke included. I figured you were entitled to know at least one secret that they didn't know,"

"Alright," she responded. She didn't know what else to say. Mikoto nodded and looked back at the training area and smiled fondly.

"Sora really does remind me of Sasuke when he was that age," she said. "He looks so much like him. But I have pretty good eyes myself. I can see that there's someone else that's present within him. Sora's father must have been quite a man,"

"Yes he was," she whispered. "Thank you Mikoto,"

"You'd better go to him now," she said. Sakura looked back at the training area. Sasuke was carrying a sleeping Sora toward the door. Sakura nodded at Mikoto before opening the door and running to meet them. Sasuke's mother watched the woman that held her son's heart. She watched how her son looked complete standing beside her. She watched how they both looked down tenderly at the sweet child between them. And soon, she would be watching them welcome a third child into the world. She left the observation area, feeling secure in the knowledge that Sakura Haruno was more than just a second chance for Sasuke.

She was his redemption, and Mikoto couldn't have asked for anything more.

* * *

**Tsunade's Office:**

"And that's what's been decided," Tsunade concluded. She had ten of her best Agents in the room and felt the need to personally inform them about Sasuke's new arrangement. It certainly made an impact. She could see the distrust already.

"What about his trial?" Shikamaru asked.

"The trial was just a formality that had in inevitable conclusion of his execution," she answered. "I'm not going to pretend otherwise, nor should any of you think that Sasuke would have taken that sitting down. We chose the more productive route of using his abilities in our favor, and make no mistake that he will be working closely with many of you once he's gotten the clearance,"

"We can't trust him that quickly," Neji commented. "He already went rouge once. What's to say the right circumstances won't lead to that same action? He doesn't work well in a team,"

"Like he's had the chance," Naruto pointed out. "I'm all for this idea. Maybe the rest of you don't trust him, but I do,"

"Who don't you trust?" Tsunade asked. "I haven't forgotten _your_ little rogue mission when you joined him against orders. Though I won't hold the outcome against you, I will not tolerate insubordination again Naruto," she warned.

Naruto would have retorted, but Hinata's gentle pressure on his hand made him hold back. Now was not the time to stir up trouble. "What about Sakura then?" he asked.

"She's been informed," she answered.

"No, I meant what's she going to do now that she knows about all this?" he clarified. "Wouldn't it make sense for her to join as well?" Nine pairs of eyes looked at him like he'd finally lost his marbles. Tsunade though, looked at him with only mild interest.

"That's crazy Naruto," Tenten responded. "She's a civilian. No way can she switch to being an Agent. She has no training whatsoever,"

"Not to mention Kakashi would go ballistic," Ino added. "Besides, Sakura wouldn't go for it. She's been through too much,"

"I think she has it in her," Naruto said then. "She's super smart, plus she's got that crazy monstrous strength just like Granny-"a stapler was promptly tossed at his head, shutting him up. Tsunade's left eye began to twitch.

"Sakura is in no condition for such a plan at the moment," she said.

"Says who?" came a voice from behind them. They all turned to find Sakura standing in the doorway. "I didn't mean to ease-drop, but the door was open and you wanted to see me," she said to Tsunade. Sasuke was escorted to the Medical Ward for routine analyzing, leaving her with nothing to do but follow through with meeting Tsunade as the children slept.

Tsunade sighed. "Yes I did," she said before saying to the rest of the Agents "This meeting is dismissed,"

"Before you go, I have something I want to say to all of you," Sakura said, giving the room a sweep with her eyes. She knew most of them personally, and each one was giving her a different look. Ino, Hinata and Tenten looked at her fondly while Neji, Shikamaru and another guy with dark glasses and white lab coat barely raised a brow. Kiba grinned and Lee was practically beaming at her, and even Chouji, whom she hadn't see since her first date with Sasuke at his restaurant gave her a smile. But the one that got to her most was Naruto.

He looked at her like he was welcoming her home, and she could have melted right there. His cerulean eyes were filled with joy as he flashed his signature cheeky foxlike grin. She had heard about what he went through after her abduction from Shizune, who was surprisingly forthcoming when she decided to get some more specific answers about that night. His condition both frightened and intrigued her. The need to help him overwhelmed her, which got her thinking about her own future.

"I've known some of you for years, and others I've only just met this past year," she began. "But you all have known me, or of me, for much longer. Most of you knew Sai, and everything that happened to him. I never wanted any of this to be my life, but it is. I'm so sorry I was angry at any of you. I realize how fortunate I was that you were there. Thank you all, for saving me and my children. Words can't describe how much I owe my life to you,"

"We want to apologize to you as well Sakura," Tenten said. "We didn't want to keep this from you, but we had no choice,"

"I understand," she responded. "I really do now,"

"I knew you would," Naruto said. "Besides, you belong here with us. No way there's any going back now,"

"Give it a rest Naruto," Ino chided before saying to Sakura "Welcome back forehead,"

"Thanks Ino-pig," she threw back.

"Alright enough of this," Tsunade announced. "You can have your reunion later. I need to speak to Sakura,"

Everyone promptly left the room. Naruto gave her a hug before leaving, accidentally squeezing her injured side and apologizing when she flinched. When they had all gone, she took a seat in front of her mentor and waited.

Tsunade gave her a thorough once over before speaking. "Are you healing properly?" she asked.

"Slowly but surely," she replied. "The burn from the gunshot wound is taking a bit longer to heal, but the stab wound is all but fixed,"

"Have you been sticking to your bed rest orders?" she continued. "Caring for two children requires strength that you can't afford at the moment,"

"Of course I have," said Sakura.

"You haven't been doing anything to aggravate your injuries?" she prodded. Sakura tried her best to put on a poker face. That was a loaded question that really didn't need answering, seeing as how she knew that Sasuke was with her last night. Tsunade resisted rolling her eyes when a feint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"He's going to have to keep his hands off you until you're fully healed," she said bluntly. The blush increased tenfold.

"I'm not that injured," she retorted.

"When you say 'stabbed' and 'shot' in the same sentence, that's considered pretty injured," Tsunade threw back. "Looks like we're going to have to keep him pretty busy for a while,"

"Was that all you wanted to say?" Sakura asked, looking suddenly exhausted. Tsunade took pity on her former student and softened her tone.

"I need to give you a thorough medical exam, including evaluation of the pregnancy," she said. "How are you really feeling?"

"I'm fine," she answered. "A little worn out, but fine. I'm just glad the worst is over,"

"We can never truly be sure the worst is over," Tsunade replied. "In our line of work, we anticipate danger before it ever happens. Being a part of the CIA is a lifetime commitment Sakura. Sasuke will soon take part in this commitment, as well as your children if and when the time comes. Are you prepared to handle that?"

Sakura looked her mentor in the eye. "Handle it? I'm not here to handle anything," she began. "I wasn't just sitting at home and stewing about all this. I did a lot of thinking, and made a few decisions I should have been allowed to make in the first place"

"And what have you come to decide?" Tsunade asked, lacing her fingers together and resting her chin on top. Sakura was indeed the brightest pupil she had ever taught, surpassing her mother Rin and maybe even Tsunade herself. What she saw brewing in her eyes was exactly what she expected: Resolve.

"To make this part of my life," she answered. "So…got any need for another CIA medic?"

Tsunade allowed herself to smirk. "There's always a need," she replied. "But this is no ordinary world of medicine. Are you up for the task?"

Sakura saw the challenge in her eyes and felt her own resolve strengthen. She knew this was no ordinary world of medicine. She thought of Naruto's smiling face and the frightening condition he had to endure. She thought of Sasuke and her children, battle scared in more ways than one. She even thought of Shin and the unknown disease that had eaten him alive. She would do all she could to help where she was needed most. Everyone here had their skills, and she sure as hell wasn't modest when it came to hers.

"Hell yeah," she replied.

* * *

**CIA Nursery Room:**

"Can you draw a princess?" Suki asked as she colored in another ninja drawing. They were currently in the CIA nursery room, where they had been provided with a small table and chairs with all the paper and crayons and pencils they wanted.

"I guess," Sora responded. "But that's girly," he said as he continued with his sketch. Suki pouted but didn't push him as she chose yet another shade of pink to color in the ninja. Sora didn't appreciate the color but didn't dwell on it too long.

Both children had woken up from their training-induced sleep, no worse for wear. In time, they would be able to fully process what had happen to them and why, but in the meantime, they had a childhood to live.

Soft cooing could be heard, coming from the giant playpen in the center of the room that housed the seven-month-old Hyuga triplets. The babies had woken up from their nap and were currently practicing the ancient art of crawling aimlessly. Sora and Suki watched them at first, but quickly got bored with the triplets and went back to drawing.

Suki looked at Sora as he concentrated on his ninja drawing and made a decision. "I'm going to make a princess card for Mommy," she announced as she took a piece of paper and began to make her own drawing. She wasn't as good as her brother, but she would try her hardest. She stared at the blank piece of paper and tried to imagine the outline of a princess.

In her peripheral vision, she could see Sora's hand fluidly move around the paper. She wished she could draw just like him. She was so focused on watching Sora draw that she hadn't realized that she picked up her pencil and began to mimic him, stroke for stroke, angle to angle.

The funny thing was…she wasn't even looking at the paper.

That was when Itachi walked into the room and paused when he saw what was happening. He stood and watched, fascinated at Suki's progress. Whether she knew it or not, Suki had activated her Sharingan and was using it to mimic Sora's movements to create the exact same drawing.

Itachi didn't think she realized what she was doing, but for her to freely use it now meant that Suki's capabilities were greater than they had initially imagined. He watched for a few minutes, and when Sora put his pencil down, Suki did as well.

Sora looked up and finally noticed Suki's eyes. "Dad say's you're not supposed to use it unless he's here," Sora chided.

"Nuh uh," Suki replied. "He said I can use if I'm in trouble,"

"But you're not in trouble," Sora retorted.

"But you wouldn't make a princess drawing for me," she pouted. Sora looked at her paper then.

"But now you have a ninja," he said. Suki looked down at her paper and pouted further when she saw he was right. Her plan didn't work out so well after all. Itachi walked in and crouched down next to his niece.

"You don't need your Sharingan to make a drawing," he said to Suki. She frowned.

"But I wanted to make a nice drawing for Mommy," she said. "I can't draw like Sora Onii Chan,"

"You can make your own," Sora said. "Mommy will like it. She always likes drawings,"

Suki looked down at the identical ninja drawing and frowned before agreeing. She wanted a princess drawing. Itachi was about to instruct her to deactivate her Sharingan, but was cut short when Suki did it herself without any hesitation. She simply picked up a blank piece of paper and pink crayon and got to work.

She would make her Mommy the best card ever.

* * *

**CIA Medical Unit:**

Sasuke had just finished another round of evaluations and testing. They insisted on doing the exam after each training session he had with the kids. The bureaucracy was already killing him. He knew the agency was walking on egg shells with regards to his evaluations. Needless to say he scared the shit out the medical team with his abilities. To be so uncertain of how to handle him served as a bit of amusement on his part. The ANBU Agents were present at all times.

He wasn't going to disregard the CIA's medical unit though. Trained under Tsunade, they were able to handle immense cases, such as Naruto. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have one medic that could look him in the eye. Speaking of the Dobe, he came strolling into the medical unit and looking around frantically. He spotted Sasuke and made his way over.

"Where the hell have you been all this time?" Naruto asked.

"Here," Sasuke replied, noticing that Naruto was a bit preoccupied looking around the department. "She just left," he said, referring to Hinata. Naruto looked panicked. Sasuke didn't particularly care to find out what was going on there.

"Gah why do I keep missing her?" Naruto huffed. After the meeting, Hinata had gone off to who knows where without telling him a thing.

Sasuke stopped paying attention to his rambling when he spotted Sakura entering the Medical Ward with Tsunade. She hadn't seen them and only halted when Naruto shouted her name.

"Sakura!" he yelled. She jumped at her name and nearly tripped over the stairs. Sasuke felt his heart stop when she stumbled before straightening herself and glaring in his direction. Naruto, sensing his mistake, held up his hands at Sasuke's death glare.

"heheh…sorry," he mumbled.

She turned and said something to Tsunade, who nodded and went ahead of her. Sakura calmly walked over to them, taking care to look no worse for wear regardless of her exhaustion. Several of the medical personnel greeted her as she passed them, even going so far as to formally bow as she passed. Even underground, Sakura's medical capabilities were renowned.

Sasuke looked like he was getting ready to carry her and confine her to a hospital bed. She didn't give the four ANBU Agents behind him anything more than a curt nod. She was about to ask Naruto what he wanted when he suddenly said "Hey, now that I see you better, you don't look so good," he said. "Same thing with Hinata. Is there a bug going around here?"

Sakura wanted to deck him right then and there. She chanced a look at Sasuke, whose aura darkened. "What are you doing in the medical ward?" he demanded. If she was sick and didn't tell him, he was going to go ballistic.

"I needed to discuss a few things with Tsunade," she answered. "And what's wrong with Hinata?" she asked to Naruto, who took in a deep breath before telling her everything he thought was wrong with his wife.

From up above the railing that overlooked the unit, Tsunade watched the three of them together. Naruto was in a panic about something, flailing his arms around at what Sakura happened to be telling him. Sasuke looked both exasperated with the blond and piercingly concentrated on Sakura. Tsunade didn't miss the apprehensive glance the Uchiha would take at her midsection. It was slight, but it was there.

Anyone with eyes could see that Sakura was drained of energy. Tsunade was going to make her stick to her bed rest orders until she was fully healed from her injuries, and if that meant ordering Sasuke to keep his hands to himself, so be it.

"What's going on down there?" Kakashi asked as he stepped beside her. Tsunade sighed.

"It's always something or another," she responded. "Your daughter has declared her intent to become a medic with the CIA,"

"…did she now?" he replied. "What was your response?"

"She wouldn't let me deny her," Tsunade said, recalling the fire in her pupil's eyes. "And I'm not about to turn down the opportunity to harness her medical power for the organization," she added. Kakashi looked down at the three of them with interest.

"And are those two aware of this decision?" he asked.

"Judging from Sasuke's glare and Naruto's enthusiasm I'd say so. Naruto seems to be an advocate for the both of them," she said, shaking her head. "Sasuke will need to be assigned to a team that suits him. It should be a process, but I think the decision is plain to see,"

"So it is," Kakashi replied. Tsunade watched him from the corner of her eye.

"They're going to need some guidance at first…," she said, letting the offer hang. "You never did get to mentor a team in your earlier years. You were too damn picky,"

"You can't say I didn't try, because you know that I did," he responded. "Six times as a matter of fact. I don't think I have the patience to even think about another try,"

"Who knows? This might be your lucky number seven" she asked, smirking. "You can get an impression at how they would work together just by looking at them," she added.

Commotion beneath them made them turn to the prospective Team Seven. Sakura had Naruto by the ear and was yelling at him about something as he crumbled from the pressure. Sasuke grabbed her by the waist and hauled her into his arms before walking towards the Medical unit, and judging by the way she was thrashing, it was against her will. Naruto, whose ear was still being held captive by Sakura's fingers, was unwillingly dragged along.

Tsunade regretted her words at the sight. "You want my first impression?" Kakashi asked. He looked just as exasperated as she did.

"My first impression of this prospective team is…they're all idiots," Kakashi declared before pulling out his favorite novel and picking up where he left off.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

The final chapter is next and it's all fluffy like Akamaru must have been as a puppy. Lolzzies . We're talking Sora and Suki fest, plus Sasuke and Sakura fest, plus all kinds of fests. It's an infestation like Shino's bugs. Lolzzies again hehehe…ehhhhhh it's 3 AM I'm so tired….

Anyway...

Sorry about the long wait everyone. The Naruto Manga Chapters are throwing me for a total loop and I get so emotional and edgy that I couldn't write until I calmed down (which can take several days believe it or not) . I wasn't even sure where to cap this chapter off so I left it on some light humor so I can pile on the fluff in the next chapter.

The FINAL chapter is coming up, and of course I'll try to make it lengthy as usual. This story is my baby and I'll be an emotional wreck when it graduates. SO REVIEW if you want it!

And now, for a special announcement (cough hypnosis session cough) by Sora and Suki:

***Sora and Suki walk up to the stage***

**Sora:** " You will review to this chapter" ***glares at readers***

**Suki:** "Please review to this chapter"** *smiles at readers***

***Sora and Suki unleash Sharingan and stare pointedly at readers***

**Sora/Suki:** "Youuuuu willlll review to this chapter" ***Sora and Suki smirk***

***Sasuke steps up behind children and waits. Children freeze in place. Children know they are busted for trying to hypnotize readers. Sasuke scoops up children and glares at readers***

**Sasuke's glare translation: **Review the chapter. 0.o he didn't even need words!


	41. Epilogue

**To Love and to Love Again Chapter 41: Epilogue**

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!**

* * *

**CIA Medical Ward**

_Sakura was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to lie down. Sasuke's scrutinizing gaze wasn't helping matters, and now she had to deal with a panicked Naruto. _

"_So what's did you do to Hinata?" she asked. Naruto looked absolutely puzzled. _

"_That's what I can't figure out!" he yelled, flailing his arms around. "She's practically avoiding me. All I said was that she hasn't been looking so good lately and that she should go to the doctor," _

"_Was that all you said?" she pressed, already having an idea of what was going on. Naruto looked a bit sheepish and scratched the back of his head. _

"_I…may have commented on her weight," he admitted. "I didn't call her fat or anything! I just noticed that she may have gained a pound or two. No big deal! She needs more meat on her bones and I like her curves, but she's looking sicklier lately and she's moody as hell. Plus she's been eating Ramen like crazy then complaining about the smell and that's never happened before but she's mad at me for some reason and every time I ask her what's wrong she avoids me!" _

_Sakura tried to get a word in, but was cut off by Sasuke when he said "What are you doing in the medical ward?" His gaze was absolutely piercing as he took in her noticeable signs of fatigue. He was vaguely aware of Tsunade and Kakashi watching them from up above the railing. _

_Sakura didn't know whether or not now was the best time to tell them about her decision. She knew Sasuke would protest, but she also knew that Naruto would back her up. She decided they would find out anyway so she might as well do it now. _

"_I've decided to become a Medic with the CIA," she informed. Sasuke's glare was instantaneous. "You didn't think I'd just sit around while you and the kids were here did you?" _

"_Alright!" Naruto shouted as he beamed at her. "I always knew you were meant to be here with us. You'll totally kick ass. Lighten up Teme you know she'll be great," he said to his stone-faced best friend. He looked like he was trying hard not to grab her and run for it. _

"_Absolutely not," Sasuke declared, making her glare right back at him. No way was his pregnant soon-to-be-wife going to go out on missions. "You're in no condition for it," he added, making Naruto assess her more carefully. _

_Sakura didn't have time for this. She was running out of energy and patience fast. She decided they would deal with it later and turned to Naruto, about to inform the oblivious blonde of the problem with Hinata when he said something that removed any self-control she may have had left. _

"…_Come to think of it, you both got a little bigger at the same time…," Naruto said as he gave her the once over. _

_The vein in her temple exploded as she grabbed his ear and yanked him down to her level. _

"_I'm pregnant you moron and so is your wife!" she shouted to his horrified expression. __"How dare you impregnate her and not realize it! I'll beat you into the ground until you can smell HCG from a mile away! Cha!" she shouted before lunging at him._

_That's when Sasuke intervened and grabbed her before she hurt herself. She thrashed in his arms, but he wouldn't let go. He was just as surprised at her outburst as the Dobe, who was still caught in her death grip, and carried her into an exam room where an exasperated Tsunade came a few minutes later to examine her. _

_Sakura was still steaming at Naruto for being so dense when it came to his wife's condition. Hinata wasn't in control of her emotions at the time, and therefore Sakura couldn't blame her for being a little miffed at him for not figuring it out. _

_Naruto was both in a state of shock at the news, and in fear of Sakura's wrath. Hinata was pregnant. His wife was pregnant! No wonder Neji was pissed. The bastard was still over protective of Hinata, even though she's a married woman. Naruto wanted nothing more than to gun it out of the room and find her, but Sakura wasn't through yelling at him. _

_She was still shouting at Naruto as he hid behind Sasuke during her examination. Tsunade was in the middle of her ultrasound, trying not to pop each one in the head for being idiots. _

"_I can't believe you would be so insensitive to your wife's condition," Sakura screeched. "You probably made her feel like a cow! How could you not know she's pregnant?" _

_Naruto hesitantly chuckled behind Sasuke. "But Sakura…you didn't know you were pregnant until gah-!" _

_Sakura had thrown the nearest object at his head, which happened to be a box of gloves. She was not in control of her emotions, and Naruto was just her poor target. Sasuke was starting to develop a twitch in his eye from their yelling. _

"_I ought a deck you-"_

"_Shut up the both of you!" Tsunade shouted, making Sakura and Naruto flinch. "Sakura, you need to get a grip on your emotions. It's not good for the babies," _

_Three sets of eyes turned to gape at Tsunade. Sakura froze. "…babies?" _

_Tsunade sighed before saying "As if you need more drama. You're having twins," she announced as she turned the screen to let her look. Sure enough, at 14 weeks pregnant she could see the two beautiful little silhouettes of her babies with two strong and synchronized heartbeats beating away with health. _

_Life wasn't through messing with her after all. Tears streamed from her eyes as she gazed upon the two little miracles inside her. She touched the screen at a complete loss of words. "Both of them appear perfectly healthy," Tsunade added when it looked like Sasuke might pass out. _

_Sakura turned to look at Sasuke then. He was reeling. Panic mixed with joy as the thought of Sakura's chances of danger just doubled. She grasped his hand reassuringly and pulled him down to her level. His worried gaze melted her heart with love for him. _

"_You…,"_

"_I'll be fine," she said quickly. "Nothing will happen to me," she promised. _

_Sasuke was at a complete loss as to what to do. One baby in her condition was already enough to worry him, but two? Fear gripped his heart now that there was twice the danger. Looking at her as she lay there just reinforced how delicate she was, just like her namesake flower, regardless of her inner strength. _

_Sakura, seeing the lingering fear in his eyes, smiled at him reassuringly and gripped his hand. "We'll get through this," she said. _

_She touched the side of his face until he looked her in the eye. _

"_You won't lose me," she promised. "I love you too much to leave you," she whispered. _

_Sasuke caressed the side of her face, not caring that the Dobe or Tsunade were still present to witness the display of affection, or his fear. Sakura meant everything to him. He could not afford to lose her. It would destroy him and their children. He locked eyes with Tsunade then, demanding that she take care of Sakura and his babies. _

_Tsunade huffed. "Do not make the mistake of doubting my abilities Sasuke," she warned. "She'll be fine under my care," _

_That didn't ease his worry at all. His tension as at its breaking point before Naruto whistled and said "Damn Teme, you've got some skills. Twins! Who knew?" _

_Another box of gloves was tossed at his face._

* * *

In an organization composed of skilled individuals such as the CIA, there's bound to be those that are considered the best of the best. It's how legends are born.

Every now and then a group of individuals stand out from the rest. Those individuals have made their mark. Not so long ago, Tsunade, Jiraya and even Orochimaru made up that trio of legends. Their individual skills alone were superb, but combined they were a force unlike any other.

Several other individuals had made names for themselves as time went by; Kakashi being one example.

But now the CIA finally had another team that not only became a legend, but surpassed the previous generation in skill, strength, and bonds.

Sasuke and Sakura had vowed that their life from here on out would be different. It certainly was that and then some. Sasuke was put through every rigorous test the CIA had to offer and continually surprised them with his skill and battle finesse. It wasn't long before they had him doing actual missions alongside his new teammate Naruto.

Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto; the duo soon became legend for their rivalry, as well as the pyramid they created in combination with Haruno Sakura. Even in her condition and current lack of field work, her medical prowess, superior intellect and supposed 'inhuman' strength gave them an edge. Together they were unstoppable. They excelled under the supervision of their mentor.

Hatake Kakashi had never before taken a team under his wing. The reason was because every team presented to him had failed the notorious "bell test" in which they had to retrieve two small bells off his person. The humble exam was no small feat when you were dealing with such an elusive individual with one good Sharingan eye. His prospective new team was no exception to the test. He was ready to turn down his daughter, future son-in law, and his mentor's son should they not pass.

He may have underestimated them just a bit. The point of the test was to gauge how well the three of them could work together as a team. All three of them had one thing or another over him. Sasuke had two Sharingan eyes, Sakura was his daughter (he just couldn't find it in himself to punch her, even though her punches were several times more lethal) and Naruto knew his one major weakness. He began reciting the ending to the latest Icha Icha paradise as all three of them came at him. Kakashi foolishly closed his eyes and ears, letting them walk right up to him and pluck the bells off.

Since then, the four of them had become the new Team 7.

Team 7 had risen through the ranks at lightning speed. Naruto had never been more successful with any other individuals than he had with Sasuke and Sakura. They balanced him, in a way that no other teammates could. Sasuke was never left unchallenged with the 'Dobe' constantly on his tail. They both tended to get carried away at times with their sparring sessions, which ended with treatment from Sakura as well as a scolding for giving her extra work. Her boys never let her rest.

Team 7 was at the top of their game, but they soon found themselves taking a mandatory break. Life was life after all and it waited for no one.

* * *

**Sasuke and Sakura's POV:**

Sora and Suki were Sasuke and Sakura's pride and joy. Their two children were their entire world. Though their lives now included the CIA, they were determined to be together as often as possible. They celebrated Sora's 6th and Sasuke's 27th birthday together in July. Sora took great delight in sharing a birthday with his father. Suki was soon to follow in October with her 6th birthday, which she was willing to share with her Uncle Naruto a few days early.

No matter how busy the CIA kept them, they always found time to be a family of four. But that family was soon to have two more members, and their two kids were going to take on new roles: big brother and big sister.

"_I'm having two babies," she told them from the comfort of their living room one evening. They both gaped at her. _

"_Two?" they asked simultaneously. Their mother simply nodded. _

"_Mommy, how come sometimes you can have two babies and then Aunty Tenten could have three?" Suki asked. Sasuke was glad he didn't have to answer that. Sakura looked contemplative and tried to form an adequate answer when Sora fired another question that made Sasuke nearly fall off the couch. _

"…_..How did they get in there?" he asked as he stared pointedly at her barely rounded belly. Sakura locked eyes with Sasuke, who smirked right back at her. She couldn't contain her blush and told the both of them that she would tell them all the secrets when they were older. _

The kids were delighted either way by the thought of two new siblings. Suki took it upon herself to be her mother's personal at-home-doctor, fetching her things here and there and helping her make dinner and taking her vitamins. She was also very insistent to know how the babies got in her belly, which Sakura continued to promised her that she'll know when she was older.

Sora took after his father in that he became even more protective of his mother. He trained twice as hard at his karate, and even went as far as glaring at perfect strangers when they got too close to her at the supermarket. Sakura had to have a talk with him to simmer down. He was becoming more like Sasuke as time went on.

Their children were content with their mother's condition. But no matter how much he prepared for it, Sasuke was still blown away with her.

He watched her grow as the weeks went by. She endured her pregnancy with more strength and grace than he thought possible. Each day made her more beautiful…and brought out more of her temperamental side, but that was expected. Each night with her beside him was surreal. She rested in the safety and comfort of his arms.

As she slept, Sasuke always took the time to bond with his unborn children. His hands never left her belly through the night. His babies must have known it was their special time to bond with their father, because they kicked up a storm inside her, only occasionally waking their mother with their restless ways.

Sakura kept her eyes closed, but smiled as she felt his hands roam around her growing abdomen. Sai used to do the same thing with Sora, and now Sasuke kept the tradition alive.

Sora and Suki were also fascinated by her growing belly. It became a nightly ritual for them to sit beside her on the couch with their hands glued to her abdomen. They giggled each time they felt a kick.

"_You're going to wear the jammies that Grandma's making," Suki said to her belly. "I helped put the Uchiha fans on them and Grandma said they have to be the first things you were when you come out," _

"_Are you sure they can hear you?" Sora asked. Suki nodded her head enthusiastically. _

Suki talked to the babies as if they were already born. At times Sakura didn't know if Suki was talking to her, or her belly. The kids also had a pool going.

Sora was determined that he was going to have two new brothers.

Suki was adamant that she was going to have two new sisters.

The babies in question never gave them a clue what gender they would be. They were terribly shy on her monthly sonograms. Even Tsunade became frustrated as she tried to peek between their legs, only to find crossed shins with no clear view at all. At the end of every session, Tsunade would simply mumble something about how '_Uchiha's are born stubborn after all'. _ The babies kept everyone guessing till the very end. Either way, Sakura had plenty of things to do to keep her occupied until they came.

Her work with CIA had commenced. Tsunade had her using every skill she had to treat the numerous conditions never before seen in the typical hospital setting.

"_The work we do puts us in contact with substances and chemicals not yet known to the public," Tsunade informed her as they did their rounds. "Experimentation, poisons, exposure and so forth calls for new techniques and critical thinking at a moment's notice," _

"_I figured Naruto was just the tip of the iceberg," Sakura said as she poured over numerous medical texts. _

_Naruto and Sasuke were training and doing field work. Due to her pregnancy, Sakura remained in the CIA hospital working in close contact with their resources and medical cases. She was quick to impress the medical staff with her skill and aptitude with their unusual cases. _

_One event in particular put her in the record books. Their Kyoto based colleagues required her aid when Kankuro was exposed to a deadly new toxin during one of his missions. Gaara and Temari wouldn't settle for anyone other than Sakura to care for their brother. Kankuro was rushed to the Tokyo base for treatment. _

_A heavily pregnant Sakura, via wheelchair, was quick to examine his blood, breakdown the chemical compounds and analyze the venomous properties with the aid of Shino and his lab. It would have been impossible to breakdown the venom with the resources at hand, yet she had ingenuity on her side. _

"_It has all the symptoms of venom," she said when she informed him of the situation. "I know you would be the most knowledgeable when it came to that,"_

"_I agree," Shino said as he assessed the blood under the microscope. "However it's unlike any venom I've ever seen,"_

"_Shino…is it possible to use your leeches in isolating the chemical compounds in his blood?" she asked. The deeply introverted lab tech assessed her through his shades as he thought about her idea. It wasn't every day that a fellow operative (a pregnant one at that) demanded the use of his insect resources. Many of the Agents had a deep aversion to the entomology department. _

"_My leeches are bred to divide such compounds in blood," he informed. "However it appears this toxin would kill them before they can assess the strands," _

_Sakura thought for barely a minute before asking him another question. "Well what if they ingest the toxin and be feed to another species of insect? Would it dilute enough to be processed through that particular bug? I know it's an unusual request but I know your department can be put to more use that it already is" _

_Shino was taken aback by that suggestion. One the one hand, the thought of sacrificing one of his precious bugs was beyond him. On the other hand, her idea was very plausible. Besides, his highly engineered insects had notoriously short life spans and they could finally be put to some immediate use. _

"_That can be arranged," he said. She looked pleased and participated in the experiment. Shino was impressed with her quick assessment of the information and a bit humbled by her faith in his abilities. He wasn't one for praise, but he would give her credit for her skill. _

_Sakura then proceeded to use his lab to develop the anti-venom. She was wheeled away by an impressed looking Shizune and administered the anti-venom to Kankuro, who was declared stable within the hour. Gaara and Temari couldn't be more grateful to her. _

Indeed she had lived up to her reputation as Tsunade's pupil. Her work kept her busy, yet in constant contact with her friends. Everyone was more than happy to lend their assistance when it came to her official CIA training.

Gai and Lee immediately volunteered to coach her fighting skills once she delivered. Kakashi didn't think it was necessary given her current fighting skill, nor did he think Sakura would be able to tolerate all that green.

Tenten offered her training in the use of weapons. Sakura never wanted to use another weapon against anyone if it could be avoided. Her work was about saving lives, but there were times when it would be needed. Since Tenten was the weapons mistress of the CIA, Sakura couldn't be in more capable hands. Tenten was more than pleased to show off her arsenal. Rooms and rooms of every kind of artillery imaginable adorned the walls of her practice range.

"_Just think of it as surgery, only long range," Tenten said as she selected her weapon of choice and aimed. "Focus, aim and pull," she said before unloading a gun in less than a minute with deadly accuracy at the paper target. When the paper came back, Sakura was stunned to see a single hole in the paper man's chest. All of the bullets entered a single lethal wound. _

_Neji, who was watching from the observation deck, smirked with pride. Lee could be heard rooting for his team mate right beside him. _

"_Tennie…I had no idea you were that good," Sakura said in awe. _

_The mother of Neji Hyuga's triplets only smiled sheepishly. "Meh, I had some sniper training in the early days. No big deal. Guns are one thing, but they don't hold a flame to the old fashioned ways of senbon needles, kunai and shuriken" she said with a gleam in her eye akin to bloodlust. _

_Sakura sweat dropped. She would never look at the weapons mistress the same way again. _

Ino wouldn't be left out of loop when it came to Sakura's CIA orientation. Though she wasn't an active field agent after having Akio and Akira, she was still a consultant in the botany department. She was also a fellow mom to children in the CIA training department.

"_We decided to get the twins evaluated," Ino informed her one day over lunch. "After what happened to your kids, the CIA is offering training to agency children as a defense, should anything like that every happen again. Kiba's already got Jun evaluated. It turns out Jun's something of a dog whisperer. He's an Inuzuka, of course he would be," she said as she rolled her eyes. _

Ever since Sora and Suki's recruitment, the Agency saw fit to evaluate particular children for CIA potential, with their parents' consent of course. Akio and Akira Nara were evaluated, and their results were stunning.

Shikamaru and Ino's twins were highly intelligent. Both children inherited their father's tactical mind. When presented with a series of games, Akio and Akira methodically played the courses and stayed three steps ahead of the tests.

"_These tests are so boring," Akio said as he yawned and finished yet another one. Akira was quick to agree as she also finished the same test with identical results. _

"_Yeah Daddy," Akira said to her father, who was watching the testing going on from behind the glass. "You said this was supposed to be fun! I'm bored!" she pouted. _

"_Amazing," Asuma said from the observation room. "They both completed level five tactical operations sequences and correctly identified multiple courses of action," _

"_Well they don't know that," Shikamaru replied. The twins may have been given a series of simple jigsaw puzzles, but it was how they completed the structure that showed how far ahead they could plan and foresee into a certain course of action. _

"_Can we go home now?" Akio asked as he yawned again. _

"_Yeah Daddy I wanna go practice my ballet!" Akira yelled. _

_Asuma sweat dropped. With their results, it was easy to forget they were just two six-year olds. Shikamaru smirked at his befuddled mentor before taking his kids home. He was proud of them indeed, but wasn't looking forward to having the entire family in the CIA. Things would always be troublesome, but then again, that was just his life. _

The Agency was interested in training Akio and Akira as future tacticians if the children were so inclined when they were older.

"_What about you?" Sakura asked Ino. "Have you thought about returning to the Agency?" _

"_It's not like I ever really left," Ino clarified. "I was a field agent with Shikamaru and Chouji as my teammates. Our families kind of have this tradition going on where we work in teams pretty well. Anyway, that lazy ass husband of mine knocked me up with the twins around the same time you were carrying Sora. You know how it works to be young and expecting. I had to quit field work to be a mom. But my kids are older now, and most likely they'll be a part of the CIA family in the future. It's time I got back in the loop," _

"_Glad to know you're on board Ino pig," Sakura teased. _

"_Shove it forehead," Ino returned. "Guess what department I've decided to join? The Medics!" _

_Sakura promptly spit out her soup in surprise, making Ino laugh. "Be prepared to be outdone forehead girl," Ino continued. _

"_Bring it piggy," Sakura said. _

Ino was actually helpful in the medical department. Sakura was more than okay with having an assistant either way. Her pregnancy was certainly taking its toll on her work load.

Luckily, it helped to have someone she could relate to. Hinata Uzumaki was also an expectant CIA mom.

"_I wish you could deliver this baby," Hinata said one day as the two of them waddled their way through the training center. Sakura was grateful she wasn't the only one doing the penguin walk in the CIA. "But I know we're due around the same time, so it's impossible," _

"_I wish I was able to as well," Sakura said as she compared Hinata's figure against her own. Sakura was nearly twice as big belly-wise due to the twins. "But you and I are in better hands with Tsunade. She delivered me and Sora so I trust she'll do great with us," _

_Hinata agreed. "Naruto bets that our baby will be born first. I told him it's not a competition, however he seems to think so," she said chuckling. "I hope he doesn't find me here. I can't sit around anymore, but I don't want to worry him," _

After Naruto had absorbed the fact that his wife was indeed pregnant, he was overjoyed. He then proceeded to drive Hinata out of her mind with his over protectiveness. Sakura had been thrilled to have a pregnancy buddy, as she and Hinata were due around the same time. Naruto was excited to be an expectant father along with Sasuke. It also increased the competitive side of their brotherly relationship.

"_Our kid's coming out first," Naruto proclaimed one day as the four of them dined at Ichirakus. Sakura rolled her eyes. _

"_It's not a competition Dobe…even though my kids will arrive before yours," Sasuke replied. He was confident that Sakura would deliver before Hinata, only due to the fact that twins are usually born a week or two earlier than single pregnancies, according to Sakura that is. _

_Naruto simply huffed. "Yeah well my kid's a genius," he continued as he rubbed Hinata's belly affectionately. Hinata felt like a Buddha statue that should grant him a wish. _

"_Based on what?" Sasuke asked. _

"_He's got great taste," Naruto answered. Sakura chuckled. Hinata's major pregnancy craving was Ichiraku ramen. Their son was already a ramen addict, even in the womb. They were lucky enough to find out the sex of their baby early on, unlike Sakura's stubborn twins. _

"_Hn," Sasuke said, not taking that seriously at all. "Ramen doesn't account for genius," _

"_Neither does tomato consumption," Naruto shot back. "I've never seen ramen butchered that way before," he said as he eyed Sakura's bowl of tomato soup and noodles. She shot him a glare that made Sasuke proud. So what if she couldn't handle traditional ramen? The owner was nice enough to whip up some soup to her liking. She was carrying Uchiha babies after all. _

"_I'll be happy to quit ramen once the baby's born," Hinata admitted. "I can't handle much more of this," she said, to which Naruto encouraged her to try for the baby's sake. _

_Hinata and Sakura shared everything during their simultaneous pregnancies. The CIA even threw them a dual baby shower, cutesy of Ino and Tenten. _

Naruto and Sasuke took comfort in the fact that Hinata and Sakura had each other while they were away on missions. When Sasuke was away, Itachi and Kakashi took charge of Sora and Suki's training.

The children were happy that they were now a family, but even so, there were times when insecurity would arise.

_Sasuke had yet to return from his mission, leaving Sakura alone with the kids for the night. Suki had already fallen asleep. Sakura was in the process of tucking Sora in for the night, when he asked her a question. _

"_Mommy, are you excited about the babies?" Sora asked as she brought the blanket up to his chest. Sakura smiled down at him as she patted her large belly. _

"_Of course I'm excited," she answered. "I'm ready for them to come out. Are you excited about being a big brother?"_

_Sora looked contemplative before nodding his head. Sakura got the sense that something was bothering him. "Is there something on your mind sweetie? You know you can tell me anything,"_

_Sora looked at her belly before looking up at her. "Are you going to like the babies more than me?" he asked. Insecurity about his place in his mother's heart had been gnawing at him for some time now. He never voiced his concern, but the bigger she got, the more he needed to know before they got here. _

_Sakura's heart melted at his question. She had tried her best to make sure both Sora and Suki knew they were loved, but with their busy schedules and Sasuke away more often than not, it was inevitable that some doubt would creep up on their minds. _

"_Nothing in this world, not even these babies, will make me love you any less," she answered as she smoothed out his hair. "I love each of you equally, but all of you have a special place in my heart. These babies will be my youngest so far. Suki is my first daughter," she said as she glanced at her sleeping form. "But you…" she said turning back to her son. "You are my first baby. You're the one that made me a mommy. When you were born it was one of the happiest days of my life. Everything about you was special to me and your daddy. You were the best thing that ever happened to us, and your daddy and I love you very much. Even though he's gone, he'll always be a part of you, and I will always love you for the both of us," she said. _

_Sora smiled an accepted that as the truth. Even though Sasuke was his father now and he officially hyphenated his surname to Arisugaki-Uchiha, Sora would always remember that he had a Daddy before Sasuke. His first dad Sai was the reason he was so good at drawing. _

"_You know, these babies will love you too," she said, patting her belly. "You're their big brother. You're Suki's big brother too. They're going to want to do everything just like you, because they'll look up to you," _

"_Are they going to have Sharingan too?" he asked. _

"_They might," she answered, knowing the possibility was more than likely. "It's an Uchiha family ability after all. Dad's teaching you how to use it properly," _

"_I can tell them to eat tomatoes," Sora said. "Because Dad says if you eat tomatoes, you can get stronger, so if the babies want to be like me then they have to eat lots of them," he said, making her chuckle. _

_The babies were way ahead of their brother. Sakura major pregnancy craving was indeed, anything and everything tomato. The Uchiha household was in a constant supply and demand for tomatoes. Not only did Sasuke and the children consume them daily, but Sakura ate more than all three of them combined due to her cravings._

"_I think they'll like that," she said. "I will always love you Sora," she said as she leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Mommy will always love you," she promised. _

"_I love you too Mommy," Sora said before closing his eyes for the night. Sakura stayed by his side, smoothing out his hair to comfort him, just as she always had since her baby boy was born. _

Sakura's relationship with her father had also improved. Now that he was mentoring her along with Naruto and Sasuke as Team 7, she got to spend more time with him. She respected her father's abilities and skill as a CIA Agent.

She was fascinated to learn of the history behind his Sharingan eye, and her mother's involvement in the risky procedure. The fact that it tied to Sasuke's relative added to the affect.

"_Obito's body was completely crushed on one side," Kakashi told her one day after training. Her little brother Obito was also with them, enjoying a dango. Kakashi ruffled his hair before continuing. "Knowing it would be the end, he gifted me with his working Sharingan eye. My eye had been slashed during the mission, and your mother was the one to perform the procedure in the woods," _

_Sakura cringed at the thought of her parents undergoing such an ordeal in an unsterile environment. Her mother's medical skill was amazing. _

"_Your mother was devastated by Obito's loss," he continued. "She knew he had a thing for her after all, even though she didn't reciprocate his feelings. It made it hard for her to move on. But Obito changed my life from that point on. He was my first true friend. Your mother even had the idea to name you Obito, had you been a boy that is," _

_She chuckled. "Well you eventually got that namesake," she said as she wiped the sugary mess off of her little brother's face. She loved spending time with Obito, even though he was just a baby. It wasn't easy having Hatake Kakashi for a father, and he would need her input when he got older. It was the sisterly thing to do after all. _

"_So when are you and Anko going to make it official?" she asked. _

_Her father simply regarded her with his usual aloof manner before surprising her and saying "It's already official," _

"_Say what?" she shouted. "When did this happen?" And why wasn't I there?" _

"_Calm down," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "It's there on paper…she just doesn't know it is all," _

_Sakura couldn't do much more but gape at him. "You married her without her knowing you did? How the hell is that possible?" _

"_Anko isn't one for ceremonies. I had to get crafty or she'd never marry me," he said, forgoing an explanation. Sakura shook her head, deciding that was the last thing she wanted to get involved in. She liked Anko, even feared her a bit. She was just the kind of person to keep her father on his toes, but she couldn't believe her fathers sneakiness. _

"_She'll kill you when she finds out," she warned. "And I can't say that I blame her," _

"_I've lived a good life," he replied. _

Anko eventually did find out about the covert marriage and went on a rampage unlike any other to kill her husband, who was mysteriously missing from base that day. No one dared to talk any sense into her. She calmed down…eventually.

All in all, life for Sakura had taken a hectic, yet fulfilling turn for the better. She couldn't have asked for more when she had Sasuke and the kids by her side. She treasured every minute she had with them, and tried her best to prepare for their unit of four to grow. And grow she did. Sakura grew until she didn't think she could get any bigger.

Then at last, on a cold night in December, she had finally gone into labor. Sasuke tried his hardest to keep it together when she woke him in the middle of the night and told him it was time.

"The kids are still asleep," he told her as she waddled her way into their room.

"I promised I would wake them before I left," she said. She leaned down and smoothed her hands over their backs, gently waking them enough to tell them the babies were coming, and to kiss them goodnight. It was past midnight, and both children were exhausted, but smiled in excitement before closing their eyes again.

Sasuke helped her up and brought her into his arms. They watched their children rest for a moment, savoring the last night it would just be the four of them, before her labor pains told her it was time to get going.

Coincidentally, when they arrived at the agency, they ran into a panicked Naruto with Hinata, who was also in active labor. Sakura could have sworn she saw a glint in Sasuke and Naruto's eyes as they began counting down whose baby was going to be born first.

Sasuke's momentary competition was instantly set aside as Sakura's pain grew. He was by her side the entire time during her labor, and endured her crushing strength against his hand as she pushed his babies out of her womb. Her anguished screams sent flashbacks of losing Aya during her labor, intensifying his fear, but his bruised hand was reassurance that Sakura had the strength in her to live.

Hours went by. The process was much longer than what he remembered with Aya. His nerves were frayed with fear that she wouldn't be strong enough to handle this, but he held on for her. After what felt like the battle of their lives, it was finally time.

Sasuke held her hands from behind her as she began to push. She pushed with all her might as Sasuke supported her, determined to give her his strength however he could. She pushed with one final breath and sighed as the instant sound of crying filled the room.

Uchiha Shouhei was born crying like there was no tomorrow. He was his father's son in every way, except for his piercing green eyes given to him by his mother. He already had a head full of shinning raven hair, with a distinct spike angle resembling a young chicken. He was wrapped in a blue blanket with prints of the Uchiha fan all over it; a gift from his Uchiha Grandparents. Sasuke and Sakura had only a minute to marvel at their baby boy, before the next baby came through.

Uchiha Saiyuri was born immediately after her brother and wailed twice as loud after her first breath. She was such a delicate looking baby girl with a head full of her mother's beautiful soft pink hair. The only dominant feature she received from her parents was her deep black signature Uchiha eyes given to her by her father. She too was wrapped in a pink blanket with the Uchiha fans printed all over it. Mikoto commission two blankets in each color just in case. The pink color was at the insistence of big sister Suki.

Uchiha Shouhei and Saiyuri were finally here.

Shizune handed both babies to their father's waiting arms. Sasuke stood there, at a loss for words at the two newborns in his arms. He turned to Sakura, who gave him an exhausted smile.

"Sora and Suki both won," she chuckled. "One of each,"

"Hn," he said, making her chuckle again. He sat next to her bed, handing her the babies. She smiled down at them with love and kissed their tiny foreheads. She whispered sweet nothings to the both of them as they blinked their little eyes at their mother.

Sasuke's heart flooded with love for his family. Never had he experienced a love as powerful as this. Never had he experienced the sight of mother and baby like them. He was alone from the get-go with Suki. Now Sakura had given her three new siblings.

"I told your Daddy I'd never leave him," she whispered to the babies. "Mommy loves you both too much to leave you too," she added softly before looking up at him. He smiled, making her heart beat quicken as he leaned in and kissed her lips.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you," he returned.

* * *

Sasuke stood in awe of his family. Sakura lay in bed with their two new babies nestled safely in her arms. Sora and Suki sat other either side of her bed, fully engrossed into their new siblings. They were absolutely ecstatic when they both got what they wanted.

Sakura locked eyes with Sasuke as he made his way over at sat before them. The Uchiha's certainly were a unit.

The babies began to fuss. Sakura gently rocked them in her arms, humming a sweet tune and placing soft kisses on their foreheads. Sora and Suki watched, enthralled by their mother, little brother and sister. Sasuke hauled their two older children by his side, giving Sakura enough room to cradle the babies.

The diamond of her wedding ring caught the light with each rocking motion.

Sasuke had married her at the first chance he got. After her first ultrasound, Tsunade and Naruto left them alone to process the news. It took Sakura a few minutes to reassure him that she would be fine. Sasuke surprised her by presenting her with a ring from his pocket. It was a beautiful heirloom made of a gold band with an oval diamond flagged by two red diamonds.

The wedding was a simply ceremony in Sasuke's backyard by the cherry blossom tree. Their CIA families were the only people present for the intimate ceremony.

Sakura wore simple white silk gown. At four months pregnant, she had a noticeable belly. Kakashi, with Obito is his arms, and Sora walked her down the aisle. Suki was an enthusiastic flower girl, showering the aisle with pink rose petals courtesy of Ino. Her blonde best friend wanted an elaborate wedding that would have taken months to plan, but Sasuke wouldn't have any of it.

Kakashi and Sora both gave her away.

His wife smiled at him as she lulled their babies to sleep.

Sora and Suki also succumbed to her gentle humming and began to fall asleep on their father. They had just finished their training for the day and were exhausted. Sakura smiled at them as they both dropped their heads in sleep.

"They've been training so hard," she whispered.

"They have," he agreed. Sora and Suki's training was no easy task. Each session took a good amount of energy out of them, but it had to be done. Sasuke laid them down to rest in an adjacent bed before moving to sit next to her.

"Tsunade better not send you on any more missions," Sakura muttered as he placed his arm around her.

"I think she'll back off in light of these two," he stated. Tsunade had been nothing but brutal in Sasuke's CIA initiation. He had been sent on every kind of mission non-stop, only just getting a break to be by Sakura's side as she gave birth.

"For now," Sakura corrected. "I think she's determined to break you,"

"Ch, she can try," he said smugly. "Uchiha's don't break easily,"

Sakura resisted rolling her eyes. Shohei and Saiyuri had peacefully nodded off, but not for long. She already knew that these two were a restless bunch. Sakura smiled down at the two perfect replicas of them. "Thank goodness Shouhei didn't get my hair," she muttered. Sasuke simply squeezed her shoulder, silently grateful as well.

"Saiyuri was fortunate enough to get it. Suki's envy was palpable," he said, glancing at his sleeping older daughter. Sakura smiled.

"She does lover her pink," she said. "Sora's going to have a tough time managing three younger siblings. I can see him trying to grow faster just so he can. We're out of tomatoes by the way. These two made me eat the last ones in the house,"

He smirked. He was extremely proud that all of his children inherited his love for tomatoes. His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of soft baby noise. The babies began to wiggle in her arms again. They were certainly a restless bunch.

Shouhei opened his beautiful green eyes and waved his arms at his parents. Saiyuri followed suit, staring at her parents with her charcoal black orbs.

"Hello my sweet babies," Sakura cooed.

Sasuke was in awe of her. He had never experienced such joy in the entirety of his life. The only other time that could come close to this was when Suki was born. Back then, it was just the two of them against the world.

Now he had an extraordinary woman by his side, and four beautiful children to raise. Pride for his new family instilled the internal declaration that they would not stop at four either. Sasuke planned to get his wife pregnant as many times as she would allow. She gave him beautiful children, all because they were a part of her.

Sasuke kept his arm securely around Sakura as she smiled down at their newborns. He gently cradled their heads, savoring the feel of becoming a father once again. Shouhei and Saiyuri seemed to sense him, as each simultaneously reached for his hands and grabbed each index finger.

A jolt of love rushed through his veins at the contact. The sight of their tiny fingers gripping his own was almost too much to bear. Sakura leaned her head against his chest, smiling at the three of them bonding.

"Sora and Suki look more alike than these two," she whispered. "When do you think the sibling rivalry will begin?"

He smirked. "What makes you think they'll be rivals?"

"Please," she huffed. "They're all smiles now, but just you wait until these two reach their terrible twos. Ino told me horror stories about Akio and Akira at that age. That's when they'll begin testing you,"

Sasuke smirked. "Uchiha's are more composed than that," he said, to which she simply rolled her eyes.

"I wonder how Hinata is doing," she said. "Naruto as well," she added.

"Probably celebrating at Ichirakus," he answered.

"His wife just gave birth. I doubt he'd leave her side," she replied. "I can't wait to meet little Minato," Sasuke simply gave his signature "hn" before giving his complete attention to his children. He knew this was only the beginning for them. All of his children were going to be raised with more love than they could handle.

"You have five reasons to live through these CIA missions," Sakura said suddenly. He looked at her questioningly. "I can't lose you ever again," she said.

"You never will," he said. "Nothing could keep me away from you or the kids,"

She looked down at their babies, who still clutched their father's fingers in wonder, before looking back up to him. He met her stare and leaned in, kissing her with as much love as he could.

"I never thought my life would end up this way," she said when they parted.

"…is this not what you wanted?" he asked.

"No, what I meant was, I never thought I could love any one as much as I love you right now," she answered. She smiled and kissed him again. "I never thought I could love again, but I love you so much. I always will," she said as a tear slipped through her eye.

"I love you Sakura," he said.

Sasuke kissed her back, holding her as close as possible with the twins in her arms. No amount of words could possibly let her know just how much she meant to him. Loving her was the most unexpected yet wondrous thing that could have happened to him. Sakura was his life, and never again would he be without her.

"Ewwwwwww kissys!" came two little voices from the couch. Sora and Suki had woken up already and jumped up onto the bed.

"Mommy I wanna hold the babies now," Suki said

"I wanna hold one too," Sora declared.

"Me first!" Suki shouted.

"No me! I'm the big brother!" Sora said.

"I'm the big sister!" Suki shot back.

The ruckus insured the both babies began to cry, adding to the suddenly noisy room.

Sasuke grabbed Sora and Suki and gave his wife a look. She may have been right about the sibling rivalry. She chuckled before smiling at him.

"Life with four kids begins now," she shouted. He simply smirked over his two arguing children.

"Hn,"

* * *

**Kakashi's POV: CIA Hospital**

"We're going to visit your big sister today," said Kakashi as he strolled through the CIA base with an eight-month-old Obito in one arm and his carefully concealed book in the other. Obito merely looked at his father with disinterested eyes as he too glanced up from his mini-picture book, if only to acknowledge being spoken too.

Obito had inherited traits from both of his parents. He was an avid reader of picture books, and was rarely seen without one nearby. His books however, were picture books filled with all the different types of dango ever made. He was Anko's son indeed and to Kakashi's slight chagrin, his son was also a total mama's boy.

They approached the nursery, just in time to see Shizune walking in with a bundle in her arms.

Kakashi stopped in front of the glass to the nursery as she placed the newest arrival in his bassinet before giving them a warm smile through the glass.

"Well, there they are," Kakashi said at his two new grandchildren. Shouhei and Saiyuri were placed in the nursery to give their mother time to rest. His peripheral vision caught another baby on the way. Shizune looked exhausted but happy as she placed another bassinet next to the Uchiha twins.

"And one more supposedly," Kakashi said.

This baby definitely made a statement in his orange baby blanket. A tuft of shinny blonde hair peaked out from the top, and as he was laid to rest, Kakashi could see clear blue eyes, opaque with the Hyuga genes.

Uzumaki Minato was born a few minutes shy of the Uchiha twins. It had to be some sort of CIA record for three children to be born within minutes of each other. The new threesome was already given the nickname "Team 7" after their parents.

Anko made her way over to get a look at the "new recruits" as she thought of them.

"I take it they're all born now?" she asked as she stood next to her _husband_ and child. She still glared at Kakashi from time to time over his trickery, but only for a moment. Obito's eyes zeroed in on his mother and began to squirm out of his father's grasp. Kakashi sighed and handed his son to her. Anko took him and smirked. It wasn't her fault their baby was a mama's boy. It also wasn't an accident that she happened to be holding a stick of dango, and their son was an addict.

"All three of them, just within the hour," Kakashi replied turning back to the babies. Anko took a good look as well. The CIA had been experiencing a sort of baby-boom. They Hyuga triplets, plus Kurenai's daughter, Obito, and now these three totaled at eight new CIA babies within one year. It was a record for sure.

"Well, Iruka's going to have his hands full with this group when they reach academy age," she commented. "He shouldn't have any trouble with you," she said to Obito, who was busy chewing on the dango.

"That's assuming any of them wish to join the CIA," Kakashi reminded.

"Ch, like they have it in them to reject it," she replied. "It's in their DNA. Four Uchiha's, three Hyugas, two Nara's, a Sarutobi and Hatake are not going to be random citizens if given the choice,"

Kakashi took a moment to process the list. It certainly was a roster of who's-who in the CIA world.

Obito gave each new baby his full attention. "So what do you think of this new team?" his father asked.

The orange bundle began to whine nosily. This stimulated the blue bundle to begin complaining as well. Sandwiched between the two was the pink bundle, whose poor ears were straining at the noise. She too began to wail, even louder than the other two combined. Soon all three babies were crying hysterically, forcing Shizune to run back into the room and give them questioning looks.

Obito threw his book at the glass and waved his arm at the loss. Kakashi sweat dropped again.

"Yup…idiots as usual," he said.

**~FIN~**

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE/ NEWS:**

******I dunno how you all will take this ending but it was hard to write! REVIEEEEEEEEEEEW! Fun fact, Naruto's birthday is soon! October 10th! **

******For NEWS about future projects and stuff, check out my newly updated profile page with a sections titled NEWS! Where all my NEWS will be! Update statuses and what nots because I should have done this six years ago. NEWS! Buahahahaa. REVIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!**

**Thank you all for sticking with this story through my sporadic updates and spaz-attacks (still rocking back and forth with my fist in my mouth over chapter 614 in the manga T_T). This is the end for To Love and to Love Again! It's been a wild six year ride and a whole lot of eggs! REVIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!**

***Uchiha babies crawl up onto stage***

***Uchiha babies unleash Sharingan***

***Uchiha babies make you want to review due to their unbearable cuteness***

***Uzumaki baby joins them on stage***

***Uzumaki baby has no idea what's going on***

***Uzumaki baby begins to cry***

***Uchiha babies glare at Uzumaki baby before crying as well* **

***Sakura and Hinata approach the stage and scoop up their babies, shaking their heads* **

**Hinata: "….um…please review. For the children"**

**Sakura: "Review because our kids are the cutest! CHA!" **


End file.
